Someone Else's Star
by debruk34
Summary: Jasper and Bella have had their hearts broken.  They both just want to be happy and find true love.  Will it ever happen for these two or are they just wishing on someone else's star?  Rated for future chapters and language J/B, Em/A, Ed/R; All Human
1. Bring on the Rain

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p><em><strong>"<strong>_**Someone Else's Star"**

_Chapter One ~"Bring on the Rain"_

_(JPOV)_

After hearing at least fifteen depressing country song in a row, I turned off the radio and then glared at it. Now I definitely like country music _more_ than the next guy, don't get me wrong, and I know the sad, miserable songs fit my mood lately, but come on already. I was finally starting to feel better about what had happened in my life and then the radio was apparently on a mission to bring me back to the darkness.

I drove for two more hours in silence. Well, not complete silence; it seems that my mind just wouldn't shut up and give me any peace. The last few months played over and over again and I found that it didn't hurt as much to think about the past. The scenery passed by and I barely took notice. Clay turned to grass, cacti and creosote bushes turned to spruce and fir trees. I passed by oil rigs; I passed through cities. I stopped when I need to get gas, when I needed to get food, when I needed to rest and I paid little attention to anything else. It wasn't until I saw a sign that said 'scenic viewing area ahead' that I even realized I was in the mountains. I pulled into the small parking lot and stared at the guardrail that was between the bumper of my truck and what I am assuming was a sharp drop-off. I wasn't really sure though. In order to find out the answer to that question I would have to get out of my truck and actually see what was right in front of me.

Instead of looking ahead at the scenic view, I picked up the black cell phone that had been sitting on the passenger seat next to me. For nearly two months the phone had been off and part of me was curious as to how many messages were waiting for an answer from me. For five minutes I held the phone and stared at the power button. Finally I decided that now was as good of a time as any to try to catch up on my life. At the very least it might provide a different distraction for my thoughts for the rest of my drive.

I pushed the power button, closed my eyes and waited. Two minutes and a lot of bells and tones later I looked at the screen.

**274 text messages and 153 voicemails**.

The only good thing about those high numbers was that at least they were sorted and I could ignore some of them. I scrolled through the texts and deleted about twenty telling me about parties and games. Another thirty-five were girls hoping that I would want to date them. Fifty were from _her_ and I just couldn't deal with _her_ excuses today. There were even a few from that bastard that she is with now.

I scrolled through the text messages that my closest friends had sent. They were all worried about me, but mostly understanding. They had known where I was and that I would be back before school started.

I deleted all the voicemails that were from anyone but my closest friends and family. I listened to Alice's messages first and they made me realize how much I had missed her the last couple of months. She had left a message each day telling me how much she missed me and what was happening back home. But it wasn't Alice that I knew I needed to call first. No, I needed to call the one person who knew me better than I knew myself sometimes. Pushing talk, I called the one person I had missed the most.

I heard her laugh as she answered the phone, "Why it's Jasper Whitlock, as I live and breathe. What are you doin' callin' lil' ol' me?" I rolled my eyes at the greeting and shook my head even though she couldn't see me. I could picture her batting her eyelashes and pretending to fan herself; and it made me burst out laughing.

Through my laughter, I said, "Rosalie, that is the worst southern accent I have ever heard." I laughed a little more, the response feeling foreign to my body, before I took a deep breath.

I heard Rosalie sigh in relief before she happily said, "It's good to hear you laugh again Jasper. I've really missed you."

With a smile still on my face, I replied, "I've missed you too, Rose. I'm on my way home now."

I could practically see her nodding her head as she said confidently, "I know you are. I know everything you have been doing."

"Grams called you," I groaned. I had figured my friends had been getting regular updates on me or there is no way in hell that they would have stayed out of Texas.

"Of course Grams called me. Why else do you think we weren't down there kicking your ass and then dragging you back home? I knew Grams was taking care of you and that you needed to escape all the things that reminded you of _her_. But I am glad you are coming home now. You can't let her win. You were always too good for her Jasper and I told her that when I punched her in the face two months ago. I hope Grams helped you realize that you can do much better," Rosalie said seriously.

I let Rose's words repeat through my head a few times before I asked, "I thought Charlotte was your best friend, why would you punch her for me?"

I heard her take a few slow breaths before she said quietly, "You know that saying 'blood is thicker than water'; well, it's true. You're my cousin and I will always stand up for you when you are right. But Jasper, it isn't because we are family that I stood up for you this time. _You_ are my best friend; you always have been and what Charlotte did to you was horrible. I thought she was a good friend; but I have come to realize that she is just a bitch. I know there is someone better out there for you than her."

"Thanks Rose. You didn't happen to get a video of that punch did you?" I asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately no, but Emmett and Edward took pictures of the resulting broken nose and two black eyes for you," Rosalie snickered.

"Well, I will definitely have to see those when I get home. So, what else did I miss this summer?" I listened to Rose for the next ten minutes as she filled me in on life back home and with promises to call her tomorrow I said goodbye.

I tossed my phone back on the seat, got out of my truck and climbed on top of the hood and leaned back against the windshield as I finally looked at the scenic view the signs so proudly proclaimed. There was a river winding through the trees and even some houses that seemed to be dwarfed by the mountains. I looked all around me and I suddenly felt really small. Now, I'm six feet three inches and have a strong, well-defined body; I don't often feel small, unless I'm standing next to Emmett. But right there, at that moment, I felt completely insignificant.

I watched as a rain cloud moved quickly toward me. It moved in a straight line, closer and closer to where I was sitting. The rain fell, soaking the forest, the mountains, and the houses. I was so lost in the movement that I didn't think to get back into my truck. The curtain of rain drenched me in a matter of seconds, but I still didn't move. I had been living the last six years of my life in Forks, Washington, one of the rainiest places in the world and a little rain wasn't going to phase me now. I say, bring on the rain.

To anyone who would have driven by on the road I would have looked crazy, just sitting on the hood of my truck in the rain. Maybe I am crazy, but I felt like I really needed to sit there in the rain. As quickly as the rain approached, it passed on into the mountains behind me. I raised my hands and wiped the water off my face. Then I ran my hands through my hair so it would stop dripping in my eyes.

I leaned forward and took a deep breath and smelled the wet earth. It smelled fresh and clean. The rain had given new life to the rivers, plants and trees and it washed away all the impurities. It was as if it had done the same for me too. I felt completely refreshed and like I could finally let the past go and have a fresh start. I even saw a rainbow; that had to be a good sign right?

I jumped down from the hood, walked back to the cab of the truck and I reached into my bag and got a clean set of clothes. Looking around, I didn't see anyone else so I stripped down on the side of the road and put on the dry clothes. The sun had begun to set and I decided that it was time to get back on the road. Sometimes all you need is a little rain to make you really appreciate the sun.

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><p>AN: "Bring on the Rain" by Jo Dee Messina

I hope you enjoyed the introduction to Jasper. Next will be Bella's POV.

Let me know what you think! Please review!


	2. Lights of My Hometown

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews. I am glad that everyone seemed to think it was a good start. Hopefully Bella's chapter will be as well received! Special thanks to SkylerBlack for her idea for a Texan Bella.

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><p><em>Chapter Two ~ "Lights of My Hometown"<em>

_(BPOV)_

The closet door opened with the slightest creaking noise. I closed my eyes and braced myself against the onslaught of falling objects that would inevitably follow the opening of the door. When I realized that I hadn't been knocked out by falling shoes or even the Barbie dream car that had attacked me last summer, I slowly cracked one eye open. The sight that met me caused both eyes to pop open and my jaw to drop. There was nothing there. The closet was empty with the exception of about fifty hangers awaiting my clothes.

I turned around with my mouth still gaping open to see my twin sister sitting on her bed shaking with so much excitement that she was actually bouncing a bit. I continued to stare at her without saying anything. Her impatience with my response got to be too much for her and she asked, "What do you think?"

"I don't know what to say, Alice. You did this for me?" I asked amazed.

"Of course I did Bella. I am so excited that you are finally moving back home. We haven't lived together except for vacations in almost fourteen years. Giving up my spare closet is the least I can do to have my sister back with me. Cleaning it took me a whole week too," responded Alice. She had stopped bouncing as she talked and I took that as my opportunity to go to sit by her and give her a hug.

To anyone seeing us sit next to one another, we would appear to be more identical than we actually are. When we sit we are the same height and our bodies are both very thin but toned. Our hair is just a few shades different, mine is dark brown with a touch of red and Alice's is even darker with no red, though hers is cut in a stylish bob ending above her shoulders and mine flows to the middle of my back. Our faces are similar, yet different enough that we could never switch places and confuse people who knew us. Alice's features are a bit more angular than mine, but we both share our dad's brown eyes. We are both pretty, but we don't let it go to our heads.

Our differences start to appear when you hear us speak. Alice has no hint of any type of accent, and I on the other hand was raised in Texas. There is a definite twang to my speech and Alice likes to tease me and say I'm a 'Southern Bella.'

Once we stand up you can really tell the difference between us. Even though neither of us is tall, I have five inches on Alice's tiny four foot eleven inch frame. My legs are long and Alice insists that I showcase them often in short skirts, which apparently now had a place to hang in the once overflowing closet.

After I hugged her, I raised my eyebrows and asked, "How is it that it took you a whole week to clean out that tiny closet? I know there was a lot of stuff in there, but it shouldn't have taken more than a day or two."

Alice blushed a bit as she uncharacteristically started to stammer, "Uh, yeah, well, you see I didn't exactly clean it alone. Emmett helped and we may have gotten distracted a few times."

I smirked at her and she blushed an even darker shade of red. I stood up and put my hands on my hips and said sternly, "Mary Alice Swan," she cringed and crinkled her nose upon hearing her full name. Ever since she had been teased on the playground in preschool with kids chanting 'Mary, Mary quite contrary' she had insisted on being called Alice. I tried really hard not to laugh at her response as I continued to pretend to scold her, my southern accent thick with condemnation. "You let your boyfriend '_distract'_ you in Daddy's house? How dare you! What would your Momma say?"

Alice looked up at me and shrugged her shoulders and said with a twinkle in her eyes, "So, how was it?"

I burst out laughing and nodded my head and responded, "Yeah, that's exactly what she'd say. In fact that _is_ what she used to ask me when I got home from dates with James." My smile quickly faded and was replaced by a frown. I stared at nothing in particular for a few seconds. Slowly I raised my eyes to look at Alice and she gave me a half smile, her eyes full of worry. I sighed and gave her a small smile in return. Then I shook my head as I took a deep breath and looked around the room.

My eyes rested on my bed and I turned toward Alice with an exasperated look and asked, "You didn't fuck him on my bed did ya?"

She bit her lip and tried to give me an innocent look. "Allllllice," I whined.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry. I did get you a new comforter and sheets," she said sheepishly. As if buying me new bedding would make up for the visual images I was going to have every time I looked at my bed. She would pay for that one someday.

I glared at her and replied, "Just keep your sexual exploits on your side of the room from now on, and preferably not while I am in it."

She laughed at me and said, "Deal. Now let's get your stuff unpacked so we can make something special for Dad for dinner."

As we unpacked and organized my things, I realized just how truly happy I was to finally be living with my sister again. Our parents divorced when we were four, each taking one of us to live with them. Alice threw a huge fit about moving away from Forks, so in the end I was the one who moved with Momma to San Antonio. Alice would visit Momma and me during winter and spring breaks and one month every summer and I would spend two months each summer with Daddy and her. We talked on the phone every day and we laughed and fought as if we were living together, but it wasn't really the same.

Momma and Alice were both relatively free spirits, while Daddy and I were both pretty grounded. Alice was less flighty and absentminded than Momma, and I was less serious and quiet than Daddy. I think in the end, even though we hated to be separated, we were both what each parent needed in their life to keep their balance. Then Momma met Phil and he provided her with the balance that she needed. Once he came into her life I was able to become a regular teenager.

Last year I met James and we started dating. We had a lot of fun together and I was falling in love with him. Momma and Phil got married at the beginning of summer and decided to move to Jacksonville. I told James at their wedding that I was going to move back to Forks to be with Daddy and Alice. That was the beginning of the end of our relationship.

"Hello? Earth to Bella." Alice's voice interrupted my thoughts. We were making baked ziti for dinner and I was chopping the onions and fresh basil. I looked down and realized that I could have stopped three minutes ago. Everything was finely minced. "What were you thinking about just now?" she asked me hesitantly. I am sure that the look on my face had let her know exactly where my mind had been.

I swallowed and moved to add the onions and basil to the mixture on the stove. "Momma's wedding and James," I said quietly, still lost in my memories.

Alice's eyes flashed with anger but her voice was sympathetic as she asked, "Do you still miss him?"

I shrugged and thought about that question. Did I miss James? That was the million dollar question. I focused my eyes on Alice and said, "I miss the James that I thought was my boyfriend. I don't miss the real James."

Alice put dinner in the oven and then pulled me to the table where she had us sit across from one another so she could look me directly in the eyes. "Bella, I know James hurt you and that what he did and said was unforgivable; but don't let him ruin you, don't let him win. He is a bastard and you are way too good for him. There is someone out there who is so much better for you and actually deserves to be with you, someone who will love you as much as you love him. I'm so glad you moved home," Alice said with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Alice. You're right, I'm not gonna let James win; I'll just keep lookin' for the right guy. I'm ready to move on with my life. I'm so glad I moved home too," I said as I got up and gave her a big hug.

After dinner, Alice decided that I needed to get out and see Forks, or at least get some ice cream since there really wasn't much to see in Forks. We drove downtown in the new black pickup truck that Momma and Phil had bought for us. Of course it had rained earlier in the day and the street lights reflected off the rain soaked roads. Kids ran on the sidewalks, families enjoyed a break from the rain and I sat outside the ice cream shop and talked with my sister.

I saw the lights of my hometown and I realized I had never appreciated coming to Forks as much as I did that night. I could have a fresh start to my life in Forks; it's where my life originally began, so it would be fitting that my life could start again here. I felt comfortable and at peace as I looked around the small town. I was home.

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><p>AN: "Lights of My Hometown" by Aaron Lines

I thrive on reviews and to make it easier for you, I will give you a survey for which you only have to click the review button and type the applicable letter into the review box. Anonymous or signed reviews don't matter to me; I just love getting any feedback!

A) I loved this chapter! Please continue this story!

b) This chapter was okay. I might read the next chapter.

C) I just don't get it. You lost me.

D) (Feel free to share your own comments)

Next up, Jasper sees a mystery girl!


	3. How Am I Doin'

A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the wonderful reviews so far! I try to reply to each review, so if you want a response, please make sure you enable private messaging. I really appreciate any and all feedback that you give me! Thank you again to SkylerBlack for giving me great inspiration and for answering all my questions.

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><p><em>Chapter Three ~ How Am I Doin'<em>

_(JPOV)  
><em>

The damn sun woke me up early Monday morning. It was Forks, why was the damn sun shining? School was supposed to start on Tuesday, but football practice was going to take up most of Monday. I still had three hours before I needed to be at practice so I put on a t-shirt, shorts and my running shoes. Five miles later I found myself running up my driveway, wishing that I had remembered to bring my iPod on the run. Music usually helped distract me from the true length of the run; without it I found myself thinking, left, right, left, right, left, right as my feet pounded the pavement. It was really annoying listening to the stupid things my mind thinks of by itself.

I wrapped a towel around my waist after my shower and went into my room to get ready for practice. I threw a bunch of stuff in my gym bag and then grabbed some clothes to wear to practice. Just as I was about to get dressed I looked out my window and saw a pretty girl I didn't recognize run halfway across my driveway. She was wearing a tight tank top showing off the perfect looking chest and little running shorts that showed off practically every inch of her long, lean legs. She bent over sticking her tiny ass in the air as she tied her shoelace that had come undone. I continued to watch as she stood up, pulled on her long brown hair to tighten her ponytail and ran down the street. I hadn't gotten a good look at her face as I was too distracted by her sexy body. I needed a cold shower, but threw my clothes on instead so I could try to follow her and find out who she was. I grabbed my gym bag, ran out the front door and got in my truck. I drove in the direction she had run, hoping to find her.

I drove up and down all the streets in my neighborhood and kept driving hoping to find my hot mystery goddess somewhere. I drove past all of my friend's houses and noticed that none of their cars were at home, which I found odd for this time of the morning. That is when I looked at the clock. Shit! I was going to be late for football practice. I had spent practically two hours looking for my hot mystery goddess. I floored my truck and pulled into Forks High School's parking lot less than ten minutes before practice was supposed to start. I parked next to a black pickup truck that was identical to mine. I would have to figure out who the wannabe was later, I didn't have time right now. I needed to get into the locker room and get my practice uniform on and get out to the field before Coach got too mad at me.

Exiting the locker room, I saw the cheerleaders practicing near the football field and a bunch of girls hanging around watching the football team warm-up. Coach was nowhere to be seen so I didn't rush to the field and instead watched the cheerleaders as I walked. I watched some of the male cheerleaders throw two girls in the air. They looked identical as they did some splits thing and then some flip thing before they were caught effortlessly and set on the ground. I recognized that one of the girls was Alice Swan. I would have to talk to her later; we still hadn't caught up on what happened to each other this summer, not that I had a lot to tell.

Jacob Black and Embry Call were getting ready to lift another girl in the air. Jacob and Embry were two of the biggest guys in the school and would have made great football players if they weren't light in the loafers. They would rather cheer for the football games than play in them.

I waved to some people as I walked and then focused on the girl that Jacob and Embry had previously caught. She bent over to pick up her water bottle and I froze mid-step. That ass, those legs, it was my hot mystery goddess. I was about to go meet her when I saw Mike Newton approach her. He gave her a hug and she awkwardly returned it. I was too far away to see her perfectly, but I could tell that her face was as beautiful as her body. I could also tell that she was not interested in Newton. She looked over at me and I felt this strange pull toward her, like I needed to go talk to her.

Before I could go save her from Newton and introduce myself, I heard Coach blow his whistle calling practice to a start. I jogged to him and listened as he began his long-winded beginning of the season pep-talk. It was the same generic speech every year, full of phrases such as 'you're a great group of kids,' 'I think we can go all the way,' 'you need to give 110%,' and 'there is no I in team.' It was just stupid bullshit that every coach spouts off to wind up the players. As Coach continued to ramble, I leaned toward Newton and said, "I saw you talkin' to the new girl."

Newton smirked and said, "You saw her, huh? She is totally fuck- hot; I would do her in a second. But you probably know all about her already. I mean, she's not exactly new though, since she's B—"

Newton was interrupted by Coach, "Whitlock, Cullen, McCarty, get up here. These three are the captains this year. We have here the best quarterback, wide receiver and defensive lineman in the state. They will lead us to victory this year! Now everyone run ten laps on the track, then run the hundred yard ladder five times and finish with ten more laps on the track."

Everyone who had been on the team the year before groaned. This was the worst practice of the season. Coach used it to see who was in shape and if anyone would cheat. For anyone caught cheating, the rest of the season's practices would be hell. After running the first set of laps, we lined up in the end zone. On Coach's whistle we sprinted to the ten yard line and back; when we got back to the end zone we turned and sprinted to the twenty yard line and back. We continued to sprint our way across the field in ten yard increments until we were running the whole one hundred yards of the field. Then we reversed it back down the field, ninety yards, eighty yards, and etcetera. Once we finished the ladder drills, we ran another ten laps. At the end we all collapsed and three sophomores and one junior puked.

Coach gave us an hour break for lunch; but after those drills, there was no way that I could eat anything. I was seeing spots as I walked to my truck to lie down for the hour. I drank a bottle of water, set the alarm on my phone and closed my eyes. I heard people get in the truck next to mine; and as much as I wanted to know who it belonged to, I just didn't have the energy to sit up and look.

I must have fallen asleep because before I knew it, my alarm was sounding and I needed to get back to practice. Coach separated us into first and second string and had us scrimmage. Tryouts had been held last week and even though I wasn't there, I was guaranteed the starting quarterback spot.

While first string was on defense, I stood on the sidelines and talked to Edward. I know we should have been paying more attention to the field, but I hadn't talked to him in two months.

Edward ran his fingers through his messy bronze hair and shifted nervously before he said, "So, um, how are you doing?"

I thought about my hot mystery goddess that I had seen twice and realized that I wasn't so upset about not being with Charlotte. I was still pissed as all get-out at what she did, but I no longer wanted her back and was ready to move on with my life. I smiled and said, "How am I doin'? I'm doin' fine. I'm not lookin' forward to seeing Char at school tomorrow, but I'm done wallowin'. You can tell Rose to stop worryin' about me. So how was your summer?"

Edward relaxed before he said, "Well my cousin Bella moved back to town and I had to stay home with my brother Rob for a week when mom and dad went to my Aunt Renee's wedding. Other than that I have just been spending a lot of time with Rose. It was a normal summer in Forks."

"Bella? As in Alice's twin sister?" I asked confused. I tried to remember the messages that Alice had left each day on my phone and then the conversations that I had with Rose. Either I hadn't been paying close enough attention or neither one of them mentioned Bella.

Edward looked at me as if I was a bit crazy and responded, "Yeah. Her mom was moving and she decided she wanted to live with Alice and Uncle Charlie. She just got here a couple of days ago. You've never met her have you, since you always spent your summers in Texas?"

I shook my head and he laughed. He continued by saying, "You'll like her. She's calmer than Alice and was pretty much raised in Texas, so you two will have something in common."

Coach was talking to the second string before the first string offense took the field. Emmett came up to us and hit me on the ass and said, "Jasper, it's good to have you back man. Ali has been going crazy waiting for you to come home. She's excited that you will finally meet Bella tomorrow."

I laughed and said, "Well after six years of hearin' about her and not meetin' her, I was startin' to wonder if she actually exists or if all y'all were just makin' her up."

We all bullshitted for a couple of minutes until Edward and I took the field with the rest of the first string offense. We finished the scrimmage and Coach had us end practice by lifting weights for an hour. I practically crawled back to my truck to head home, thankful I had survived the worst practice of the season.

After spending the summer away from my friends all I wanted to do was hang out with them on the last night of summer vacation, but my parents always insisted that we have a quiet family night and that I go to bed early. It was one of those grin and bear it situations. For the most part my parents didn't care what I did any other night of the year, but I could never get out of this tradition.

After a relatively quiet and painless dinner with my parents, I got my stuff ready for the first day school and went to bed early with no prompting or complaining. I had one last thought of meeting my hot mystery goddess tomorrow before I fell asleep. I was plumb tuckered out.

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><p>AN: "How Am I Doin'" by Dierks Bentley

So if you haven't figured it out by now, there is going to be a country theme to each chapter title and the quote will work its way into the chapter somehow…though it might be subtle. You don't need to listen to the songs, but for the most part they will be able to relate to the story somehow. I really don't listen to country music all that much, so I apologize if there is a better song out there and I totally miss the boat on using it! I was also raised in Wisconsin, so my knowledge of all things Texas and southern come from internet research and my new muse SkylerBlack!

I definitely appreciate suggestions and ideas and will try to use them (and credit you) if they fit with what I have in mind. I know some of you won't be thrilled with the Emmett/Alice and Edward/Rose parings, but I figured if I was going to mess with two relationships than I might as well go for all three!

If you didn't like this chapter as much as the last one, I apologize; it may seem like a filler, but there is a purpose to it. I also promise that the next one will be even better! It is pretty much finished and I love it!

Here is chapter three's survey. Just click review and type the letter that best applies to how you feel. Extra comments are always welcome!

A) I love this story so far!

B) I definitely hope the next chapter is better or I'm not reading any more.

C) Why wait for the next chapter? I'm not going to read any more of this.

D) (Please feel free to add your own comment)

Please review!

Next up, Bella's first day and seeing her mystery guy.


	4. A Little Bit Stronger

A/N: I had all the best intentions of updating yesterday, but real life was not my friend. My son woke up screaming that his head hurt, he had a really high fever. A half hour later my daughter threw up all over the floor and then did it again about twenty minutes later. Then my husband went to the ER because he thought his foot was broken (it wasn't, just some really really severe tissue damage). So my day consisted of sick kids, a crabby husband, six loads of laundry and did I mention my father-in-law is in town too? To top it all off, I was buying beer and instead of getting carded, the checker said, "Ehh, I know you're old enough." Oh, and right before he went to bed, my son sneezed in the silverware drawer so I had to rewash all the silverware.

A huge thank you and major credit to SkylerBlack for her inspiration in this chapter. She gave me the song choice and the idea for Bella to use it to let go of James. She also provided me with a lot of southern drawl help!

Also thank you to my faithful reviewers: angmclure, TwilightAddict71484, SkylerBlack and Astrid's Fire. I appreciate all you say to me and the support you give me! Thank you to everyone that has put this story on alert or your favorite list.

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><p><em>Chapter Four ~ "A Little Bit Stronger"<em>

_(BPOV)_

"Now wait just a cotton pickin' minute, Alice. There's no way I'm wearing that outfit. I'm goin' to be meetin' a lot of new people today and if I wear that I'll be makin' the wrong first impression. I'd rather the guys not stare at my chest and legs; and I don't want the girls to think I'm a slut," I begged. Alice was holding the shortest jean skirt I had ever seen and what appeared to be a tight, low-cut pink tank top and she was glaring at me.

"Bella, don't be ridiculous. You have a great tan right now and it won't last for very long with the lack of sun here in Forks. You have to take advantage of how hot you will look in this outfit while the weather is nice. And besides, it's the first day of school and you have to look spectacular," she said sternly.

"I have successfully dressed myself for the first day of school in the past," I argued getting more irritated with her as each second passed.

"But this is your _last_ first day of school and you _will_ wear the outfit I tell you to wear," she seethed.

"What about college? I have at least four more first days ahead of me. Unless you count each semester as a new first day and then there are at least eight," I said trying to throw her off a bit.

"Grrr, that doesn't count. Now stop trying to get out of this and do as I say. Don't you forget that I'm three minutes older than you; so what I say goes," Alice practically screamed at me, her face turning red with frustration.

"For someone so tiny, you sure make a lot of noise. Why did we have to get up before five anyway?" I whined.

"Because I knew you were going to fight me on wearing this outfit," she said matter-of-factly.

"If you knew I was goin' to fight you then why did you even choose it? You know what, never mind. Can we come to a compromise?" I asked trying to end the fight.

Alice narrowed her eyes at me and said warily, "What do you have in mind as a compromise?"

"If you let me wear jeans, I'll wear the tank top," I said while looking her directly in the eye and not blinking or breathing, hoping she would take the bait.

She crinkled her nose and replied, "I will agree only if you let me pick out the jeans."

I let out my breath and said, "Deal."

I put on the pink tank top, which wasn't quite as low cut as I thought it would be, the tight jeans that Alice picked out, and my favorite brown cowgirl boots and with my hair in loose curls, I had to admit that I looked good. I hate it when Alice is right.

Even though we had been up and getting ready for hours, after posing for the pictures Alice insisted we take for Momma, we were running late for school.

I parked our truck a couple rows from the front of the school, facing the road and we hurried to join the rest of the students as they made their way inside the building. I found the locker that was assigned to me and put a bunch of new notebooks on the shelf, along with the apple that I had brought from home for lunch. I was full of nerves and didn't think that I would be able to eat much more than that. I figured if I got hungry I would buy something else.

As I walked toward my first class, from down the hall I saw a flash of blond hair and the most gorgeous smile on the face of the guy I had nicknamed my blond mystery god. I hadn't told Alice about him yet for a couple of reasons; first, I was sure she would make it a point to set me up with him if he was single and I would rather meet guys for myself than have my sister set me up with them and second, what if he wasn't single? I just didn't need any interference from Alice, or any pity, so I kept my mouth shut after seeing him yesterday at practice.

I had just caught his eye and given him a smile as Mike Newton and a crowd of people came up to me and blocked my perfect view. I could see Emmett in the background holding up his cell phone for some reason, but it was pointed in the opposite direction from where I was standing. There must have been something interesting going on in the direction of my blond mystery god.

Mike ran his hand through his hair and tried to sound sexy as he said, "So baby, I'm picking you up at eight Saturday night for the party."

For the past three years, Mike had been trying to get me to go out with him and I just wasn't interested. Every summer he would ask me out every chance he got and no matter how many times I turned him down, he just kept coming back for more.

I noticed that the crowd that had gathered behind him as he talked now included Edward, Alice and Rose. I gave him a sweet smile and drawled thickly, "Now Mike, you should know better than to count your chickens before they're hatched. You first have to ask a girl out before you tell her what time you're pickin' her up for a date."

Mike smirked at his friends and did that head bob thing that guys like to do, kind of like a backwards nod. Then he gave me what I'm sure he thought was a sultry look, when in reality he looked drunk, and said, "Bella, will you go with me to the party on Saturday night?"

I hated to be crass in public, but it was time that Mike got a clue. I rolled my eyes and replied, "Mike, there ain't a snowball's chance in _hell_ that I'm goin' go with you to the party. I think you should ask someone else."

Mike was frozen on the spot and I took that as my opportunity to walk away from him. I looked for my blond mystery god and realized that he had disappeared. I sighed and then Emmett scooped me up bridal style, gave Alice a kiss and walked away from the crowd.

I gave him an exasperated look and said, "Why are you carryin' me, Emmett?"

He laughed and continued to carry me down the hall in the opposite direction from which my blond mystery god had been heading. He looked down at me and replied, "That was fucking awesome Bells. It's about time you told off Mike Newton. I'm not sure he'll leave you alone forever, but you might be able to avoid him for the rest of the week."

I shook my head and said, "I'm glad you liked it Em; but that doesn't answer the question as to why you're carryin' me. I'm perfectly capable of walkin' by myself; I even manage to walk without trippin'. I'm also able to chew gum while doin' it."

Emmett gave me a half smile and narrowed his eyes a bit while he said, "Ha ha, very funny smartass. I'm carrying you because we're almost late for class and with the way those other guys were leering, you never will make it on time if you have to deal with them too."

I kissed his cheek as he lowered me to the ground. I said seriously, "Thank you Em. I appreciate your help. Now let's go to English."

My classes passed and after each one, I had to deal with more advances from guys in the senior class. I had turned down multiple date requests for the Saturday night party and even a few for the Homecoming Dance which was still a month away. Even though some of the guys seemed nice, I wanted to get to know someone first before I went out with them. I might make an exception for my blond mystery god though. Of course I didn't see him again and we didn't have any classes together yet.

Right before the bell rang to dismiss us for lunch, I heard my phone vibrate, indicating that I had a new text. I waited until class had ended before I read it.

_** Alice**__ ~ Not gonna be at lunch…Rose and I have meeting with Coach Kate. Fill you in later. Sorry!_

I sighed and put my phone in the side pocket of my backpack. I really didn't want to go lunch by myself and be forced to sit with people I didn't know or didn't want to know. I could sit with Edward and Emmett, but they would probably be with the guys that had been trying to capture my attention all morning. I walked out of the classroom and did my best to avoid drawing anyone's attention to me as I put away my books and got a notebook for my class after lunch.

I grabbed the apple from my locker and walked away from the lunch room. While I ate the apple, I tried to figure out where to go for the lunch break. I decided I needed a little time alone in my truck with Tim, so I headed to the parking lot. I threw my apple core away and then unlocked the doors to the truck. I reached into the back seat and pulled out the case from where I had put it that morning. I opened it up and there, lying on velvet, was Tim. I picked him up and plucked his strings.

Ten years ago, Momma had wanted to learn how to play the guitar. She bought a beat up, second-hand guitar from a thrift store and signed us both up for lessons. I was barely big enough to hold it, but I discovered a love of music through that guitar. Like most things Momma started, her guitar lessons were a fleeting fancy and she moved on to her next great idea. I, however, continued to take lessons and Alice and Daddy bought me a beautiful steel-string acoustic guitar with a cedar face and mahogany body for my thirteenth birthday.

When Alice came to Texas for Christmas that year, she named my guitar Tim after Tim McGraw who we both had thought was really sexy in his tight jeans and black hat. The name stuck and Tim has gotten me through many difficult times in my life. I stopped taking lessons at fourteen when I became as good as my teacher. Over the years I have become really good at listening to a song a few times and playing it back almost perfectly.

I crawled into the bed of the truck and sat with my back against the cab. I folded my legs in front of me and held Tim in my lap. I sat quietly for a while, enjoying the warm weather and lack of rain. The sun wasn't out, but for Forks, it was a pretty nice day.

I had told Alice the other night that I was ready to move on with my life and though I was still hurt by James' betrayal, I wasn't sad anymore. I was even finding myself really attracted to my blond mystery god. I felt it was time to finally play the song that had been floating through my mind for the past few weeks. Though this would be my first attempt at this song, it was more about the meaning and feeling than perfection.

I slowly strummed the first chord and then closed my eyes and let out a calming breath. I opened my eyes as I began to play again and soon I was singing softly. Toward the end of the song, my eyes had closed again and I sang louder as I played,

'_Getting along without you, baby,  
>I'm better off without you, baby.<br>How does it feel without me, baby?  
>I'm getting stronger without you, baby.<em>

_And I'm done hoping we could work it out,  
>I'm done with how it feels, spinning my wheels,<br>Letting you drag my heart around.  
>And, oh, I'm done thinking that you could ever change.<em>

_I know my heart will never be the same,_  
><em>But I'm telling myself I'll be okay.<em>  
><em>Even on my weakest days,<em>  
><em>I get a little bit stronger.'<em>

As I played the last notes, a peaceful feeling surrounded me and I knew my face was alight with a huge smile. I continued to smile as I opened my eyes. I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I really did feel a little bit stronger. Hell, I felt a lot stronger.

I heard the first bell sound, signaling that class would begin soon. I stood up in the bed of the truck and noticed a pair of stunning blue eyes staring at me from the sidewalk a couple of rows away from where I was. I bit my lip and blushed ten shades of red as I stared back at my blond mystery god. For some reason he looked like he was in awe of me. Then he smiled a heart-stopping smile and damn did my panties get wet. I continued to blush as I gave him a shy smile in return.

He took a step toward me, when out of nowhere Emmett ran up behind him, threw him over his shoulder and ran toward one of the buildings. I heard my blond mystery god yell, "What the fuck, Emmett? Put me down right now!" If I wasn't mistaken, I heard the sexiest southern twang in his voice. Maybe I would see him later; now, it was time for American History.

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><p>AN: "A Little Bit Stronger" by Sara Evans

This is my favorite chapter so far! I would love to hear what you all thought.

So the review survey didn't do its job last chapter, so I am going to try something different.

Using the first letter of your name, either real or pen, give me one word (or phrase) to describe your feeling toward this chapter. For example, if my name began with a 'Z' I would say—Zippity do da, I loved this chapter! Or Zoinks! (name that reference!) Or ZZZZZZ…time for bed! (If you would rather just leave a review and not play the game that is fine too!)

Please, please review. I could really use something positive in my life today. It also motivates me so much to write more.

Next chapter, Jasper's first day and maybe they will meet? You will have to wait to find out!


	5. I Can Help

A/N: A huge thank you to all the reviewers last chapter: AlwaysJASPERsLOVE, angmclure, crazy4jacksonrathbone, TwilightAddict71484, Just A Reader90, SkylerBlack, Astrid's Fire, and NatalieLynn. You all made my day when I read your reviews! Also Just A Reader90 guessed correctly that Zoinks was from Scooby Doo! Also thank you to everyone who favorited the story or put it on alert!

I promise that we won't see too many repeats of the same events because I hate to read the same thing twice. There will be some overlap so we can see how Jasper's first day went, but it will be different; I swear! I will not make a habit of this, unless it is completely necessary. Now read on because I know you want to see Jasper's reaction to Bella's song and to find out if they finally meet.

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><p><em>Chapter Five ~ "I Can Help"<em>

_(JPOV)_

I woke up early Tuesday morning to enjoy the only breakfast that my Momma would cook for me all year. You would never believe that she was born and raised on a Texas ranch with the way her cooking skills were lacking. It's not to say that she can't cook, but rather that she always chooses not to cook. On the rare nights that she and my Daddy are home for dinner, she has the maid make something special. Every other night of the week, I heat up one of the many freezer meals that the maid makes just for me or I eat at a friend's house. I frequently have dinner with Rose. Though my Aunt Caroline doesn't cook much either, she at least usually has her maid make a meal that she and Uncle John enjoy with the family. Grams can't figure out how her two daughters are so different than she is. Fresh, home cooked meals are part of the reason I love visiting Grams every summer.

After breakfast, I left for school. When I got there, I went to my locker and got my books. Jacob Black came up to me and complimented my new cowboy boots. He smiled and said, "I know you are straight and all, but if you ever want a change, just come find me and make sure to wear those boots." Then he purred at me and winked. Jacob was always pretending to flirt with me. At least I think he was pretending. I couldn't help but laugh. As I tossed my head back, I caught the eye of my hot mystery goddess. She gave me a huge smile and then yet again, Mike Newton got in my way. I turned around and walked to my chemistry class. I guess I would just have to meet her later.

Throughout the morning, I heard a lot of talk about Alice's sister, Bella. Apparently she had put Newton in his place and it was all anyone could talk about. The girls were jealous that one of the new girls was getting all the attention and all the guys wanted to ask her out to see if she would want them or if she would turn them down too. One of the local factories had been bought out and the new company expanded, bringing many new families to Forks. I had seen a bunch of new faces in my classes and I wondered if any of them were Bella.

The best part of my day was that I hadn't had contact with Charlotte yet. I had seen her in the halls, but luckily I didn't have any classes with her. Everyone in the school knew that we weren't together since she was hanging all over someone other than me, but they were all smart enough not to say anything about it. The girls were plotting different ways that they could get to me and be my next girlfriend. All morning I had been coming up with ways not to talk to any of them. The easiest one was to totally ignore whoever was talking to me and keep moving as if they weren't there.

I sat with Edward and Emmett at lunch. Rose and Alice were at some meeting with the cheerleading coach since they were captains this year. I still hadn't seen Alice's sister, Bella. Emmett, Edward and I talked about football all through lunch since the girls weren't there.

As I finished my lunch I saw Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory whispering to each other and pointing at me. I knew that they were both hoping that I would date them next and I didn't want to stick around the lunch table any longer to find out what they were plotting. I got up and wandered toward my American History class. It was nice outside, and I was early so I took the long route, which led me past the parking lot.

I heard guitar music and figured someone was listening to the radio in their car during lunch. I kept wandering and the music got louder. I heard the clear voice on the recording singing about getting a little bit stronger. The lyrics were speaking directly to me. It was the perfect song to sum up my feelings lately. Though I was still hurt by Charlotte's betrayal, I wasn't sad anymore.

I walked slowly and continued to listen to the song. I looked around the parking lot to see who was listening to it, when I realized that the song wasn't a recording. There, sitting in the back of the black truck that was identical to mine, was my hot mystery goddess. Her eyes were closed as she played and her voice, like the lyrics, got stronger as she continued to sing. I could almost see a change in her, as if she was living the words of the song. I was completely mesmerized. She was gorgeous and talented and I couldn't do anything but stare at her in amazement.

She played the last notes of the song and looked completely at peace. Then a brilliant, natural smile lit up her whole face and she opened her eyes.

I barely heard the first bell as I continued to stare at her in awe. She stood up to go to class and her eyes connected with mine. She bit her lip and began to blush, as if she were embarrassed to be caught playing and singing. She should never feel embarrassed about that talent of hers. I was absolutely taken by her, and the way she bit her lip made her look irresistible. I couldn't help but smile at her; she was just too cute. She continued to blush, but gave me a shy smile in return. I finally was going to have the opportunity to meet my hot mystery goddess.

I took a step in her direction when all of a sudden the ground disappeared from beneath my feet and I found myself looking at Emmett's backside as he ran away from the parking lot.

"What the fuck, Emmett? Put me down right now!" I yelled at him. He just laughed and continued to run into one of the buildings of the school. I was so pissed that yet again I missed my chance to meet my hot mystery goddess. Would I ever get a fuckin' break? As we got farther from the parking lot I resigned myself to the fact that Emmett wasn't going to put me down and that I would just have to wait longer to meet her.

Emmett let me go outside the classroom and I walked in, signed my name on the sign in sheet on the teacher's desk, picked up a history book and took a seat on the far side of the room. Emmett sat in front of me as he pulled his cell phone out of his backpack.

"What the hell was that all about Emmett? Why did you carry me? I am perfectly capable of walkin' by myself," I stated while glaring at him.

Emmett looked at me and blinked as if what I said surprised him. He said, "You were walking too damn slow. Man do you need to meet Bella; she pretty much said the same thing to me this morning."

I raised one eyebrow at him and asked, "So I'm not the first person you have carried around today?"

"Nah, I carried Bella to class after she told off Newton this morning. Jazz, man, you should have heard her. It was fucking priceless," he said laughing.

I nodded as I replied, "So, I've heard. It seems that everyone's talkin' about it. I wish I would've seen it."

"You can't see it, but you can hear it. We overheard Newton telling his friends that he was going to tell Bella that she'd be going to the party with him. Alice knew Bella would never go out with him and told me that she was sure Bella's response would be great since she was fed up with him. I had been looking for an excuse to use the camera on my new phone so I pushed record and held it up to tape it all. Stupid phone is different than my last one and I accidentally filmed Jacob staring at your ass as you walked down the hall. He even licked his lips and drooled a little. I'm going to have nightmares about that. I did get the audio though." Emmett then pushed some buttons and I heard Newton say, _"So baby, I'm picking you up at eight Saturday night for the party."_

Then the hottest sounding southern voice started replied, _"Now Mike, you should know better than to count your chickens before they're hatched. You first have to ask a girl out before you tell her what time you're pickin' her up for a date."_

I could practically see the smirk on Newton's face as he said, _"Bella, will you go with me to the party on Saturday night?"_

"_Mike, there ain't a snowball's chance in hell that I'm goin' go with you to the party. I think you should ask someone else,"_ Bella replied. Listening to her sexy accent made my pants tight. I adjusted a bit in my chair as Emmett put his phone away.

He turned toward me again and said, "Wasn't that fucking awesome?"

I swallowed thickly and said, "Hell yeah. Newton needed to be taken down a peg or two; he is always disrespectin' the ladies. She led him on and then shot him down. She sounds like a real firecracker. I can't wait to meet her."

"I'm meeting Ali after school before our practices; I'm sure Bella will be with her. Meet us by the gym. Oh man I got to get to class before I'm late." He picked up his backpack and stood up to leave. As we had talked, the room had filled up; Jessica Stanley took his desk as soon as he moved away from it.

"Why the fuck were you sittin' in a desk if you aren't in this class?" I asked him confused.

"I was talking to you," he said as if it was obvious. And with that said, he turned to walk to the door.

I shook my head and said, "I'll meet you by the gym later." Sometimes you just can't explain Emmett and it's not worth trying. I opened my book and turned to the section on the Civil War in an attempt to ignore Jessica who had started talking to me as soon as she sat. I hadn't processed or responded to a single word she said. I knew it was rude to ignore her, but my Grams taught me that if you don't have anything nice to say to someone, don't say anything at all.

The second bell rang and the teacher walked to her desk. She introduced herself and then started to tell us about the different topics we would study this year. She asked questions about different events in history to gauge how much we knew as she went over the syllabus. I pretty much tuned her out and continued to read. Her speech caught my attention when she said, "We will examine the civil war in depth and discover the reasons for the war. Can anyone tell me why we fought this war?"

Jessica's hand shot into the air and the teacher called on her. She said confidently, "To free the slaves."

I rolled my eyes and was about to raise my hand when the teacher said, "Miss Swan? Do you have something to add to Miss Stanley's response?" I hadn't realized that Alice was in the class; I looked across the room, but didn't see her.

"Yes ma'am. While slavery was a catalyst of the war, the main reason the Civil War was actually fought was over secession. The South believed that Abraham Lincoln would outlaw the practice of slavery if elected, which would have had a detrimental impact on agriculture and in particular, plantation farmin', and so they seceded from the United States and became the Confederate States of America. The North fought the South to bring the Confederate States back into the United States of America."

I realized as soon as she had said the word ma'am that it wasn't Alice, but rather her sister Bella who was in this class and was speaking. Her voice was thick with a Texas accent and I was getting turned on by her sexy drawl. I was also impressed by her knowledge of the Civil War. I tried to see Bella, but Jacob and Embry were blocking my view of her desk. All I could see were her little brown cowgirl boots. I love a woman in cowgirl boots.

The class continued on and found myself thinking about my hot mystery goddess. If only Emmett hadn't ruined my latest chance to meet her I might at least know her name by now. The class started to pack up in anticipation of the bell ringing. I put all my stuff in my backpack and sat back to listen to the teacher for the last few minutes. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jacob lean to the side to say something to Embry. My view of Bella was now clear. I looked over and saw my hot mystery goddess sitting there. It was Bella. She was twirling her pen in one hand and a piece of her hair in the other. The bell rang and I brushed past Jessica who had turned to start talking to me again.

I watched as Bella once again bent over to put everything in her backpack and I was seriously going to go crazy if I saw her do that again. I heard a guy call her name and she cringed, picked up the last few items off her desk, her backpack off the floor and quickly tried to escape whoever it was that was trying to catch her attention. I pushed past most of the people so I could get to her before anyone else did. I had to meet her this time. I found her kneeling outside next to a tree, trying to look inconspicuous as she put the rest of her things in her backpack.

Her head was down as I approached her and I said, "Excuse me, miss. You look like you could use a hand. If you'd like, I can help."

She froze at the sound of my voice and slowly looked up from her backpack. My breathing grew shallow as her eyes slowly made their way from my boots to my face. I heard her intake of breath as her eyes met mine. I stared into her gorgeous brown eyes and held out my hand to help her up from the ground. She placed her small hand in mine and I felt a tingle of electricity as I closed my fingers around hers. I smiled at her and her whole face lit up in response as she stood.

"Why thank you sir; that's most kind of you. I think I have this mess under control, but I _would_ like to know the name of my gentleman savior," she said as she looked up at me, her eyes wide in anticipation.

"The name's Jasper Whitlock miss. And if I'm not mistaken you're the absolutely breathtakin' Bella Swan," I responded and added a flirtatious wink. Boy did I wish I had my cowboy hat on so that I could tip it toward her. I did the next best thing and kissed her hand. She blushed again at the compliment and the kiss.

When she responded though, I didn't hear any hint of embarrassment. In fact the look on her face changed to match the sultry tone in her voice as she said, "You would be correct, Mister Jasper. I've seen you around, and I have to admit you're even more devastatingly handsome up close than I could ever have imagined."

She was full of innocence, confidence and playfulness and was able to roll them into one while flirting back with me. She could also sing and play the guitar. So far she was the epitome of my southern dream girl.

I was still holding her hand and I didn't want to let it go, so I tightened my grip a bit to see her reaction and gave her soft smile. Her eyes had a twinkle in them as she held my hand a bit tighter. I continued to stare into her eyes as I said, "Thank you for the compliment. I hate to ruin the moment, but we should get to our next class. May I escort you to yours?" I hated the thought that we would be separated so soon and I was grasping at any opportunity to spend more time with her.

She frowned, dropped my hand and replied disappointedly, "I would hate for you to be late for your next class because you were escortin' me to gym. It is in the complete opposite direction from everywhere else."

I gave her a lopsided grin as I picked up her backpack from the ground, put it over my shoulder with mine and said, "Well today must be your lucky day little lady. That happens to be exactly the way I'm headed since I have gym next myself." I offered her my bent left elbow and she hooked her hand through it.

Bella's face lit with excitement as she said, "Well then, lead the way Mister Jasper."

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><p>The song <em>"I Can Help<em>" is by Billy Swan. I chose it for 95% of the lyrics and the name Billy Swan. Through a bit of song research I learned that Billy Swan worked with a musician named Bill Black…any of these names have any influence on Mrs. Meyer? Probably not, but I did find it a bit ironic, so I had to use it! '_I Can Help_' isn't exactly a country song, it is classified as Rockabilly; but it did make it to number one on the country charts in 1974.

I would love to know what ya'll thought of this chapter! Thank you to everyone who played the review game last chapter and gave me a review based on your name/penname (or even just reviewed!)! Let's see...unfortunately for this chapter, I am not feeling very creative so I think we will go back to the survey idea. Choose the letter that best applies to how you feel and click review and type it in that lovely little box!

A) I want Jasper to help me! I loved this chapter!

B) Finally they meet, that was way too drawn out.

C) What a letdown. I would rather not read anymore.

D) (Share your own thoughts/comments)

Please review. It takes hours (sometimes even days) to write what is hopefully a good chapter and only a few seconds for you to give feedback!

Next Chapter: Gym and finally some more interaction!


	6. Hicktown

A/N: Happy St. Nicholas Day! Think of this chapter as my gift to you. If you don't know what I am talking about, don't worry, from what I have learned, if you're not of German descent, from certain places in the midwest or Europe you probably have never heard of it. Even my husband doesn't get it and I have to explain it every year to him. It is to remember St. Nicholas, a 4th century bishop who would secretly leave coins and small gifts in shoes for those in need. He is a model for the modern Santa and is remembered on the morning of the 6th with small gifts placed in shoes (or we use stockings since they are already hung and don't stink like little boy's shoes can). (History lesson done.) (I hope I didn't offend anyone with that…ignore if you celebrate/don't celebrate any other holiday and think of it as a Happy Tuesday present!)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story or put it on alert. A special thank you to reviewers: AlwaysJASPERsLOVE, angmclure, deerslayer1100, kateandjasper, TwilightAddict71484, SkylerBlack, Astrid's Fire, Kate0510, IheartJW and filmdork. Reviews make me smile, laugh and write faster! A special thank you to angmclure and SkylerBlack for being extremely helpful when I had questions!

A little warning…this chapter got away from me and is long compared to the last few. It has about 1,000 words on the last one, but I just didn't want to cut anything.

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><p><em>Chapter Six ~" Hicktown"<em>

_(BPOV)_

I had felt this incredible tingle of electricity when I placed my hand in Jasper's. I had read about connections like that, but only thought they happened in fiction. Holding his hand felt natural; it was warm and comforting. Then when he offered me his arm, I practically melted. He was such a gentleman and I loved getting to touch him more. It also allowed me the opportunity to breathe in his unique scent. He smelled like cinnamon, spice, honey and leather; it was intoxicating.

I can't believe that Jasper's my blond mystery god. I should have figured out who he was sooner. Alice has pictures all over our room of her friends and I am sure that he is in some of them. I haven't taken much time to look at them since I moved to Forks, but I'm sure that the ones I have looked at did not include him. I have been hearing stories about Jasper since he moved to Forks and became friends with Alice six years ago. Even before that I had heard Rose mention her cousin when I would come to visit Daddy and Alice.

Jasper led us toward the gym as we stared at each other not saying anything at first. The silence wasn't awkward, but rather it was peaceful and we were in our own little world.

Jasper looked down at me and said, "I've been lookin' all over for you. I saw you runnin' yesterday mornin' and tried to follow you to meet you, but I couldn't find you. I'm not a creepy stalker or anythin', I just wanted to find out more 'bout you. Each time I saw you after that, someone always stopped me from gettin' to you."

I laughed a little and said, "I know what you mean. Between Mike and Emmett, I wasn't sure I'd ever be meetin' you. I could've asked Alice who you were; I just didn't want her to interfere."

He gazed into my eyes and said seriously, "I think the way we finally met was perfect. Though if we would've met before class, I would've been able to tell you sooner that the song you were playin' and singin' was beautiful. Until I saw you with your guitar, I thought it was a recordin'. You're very talented."

I blushed hard and replied, "Thank you for the compliments. I'm not sure I deserve it regardin' the singin', but as for the playin', I'll take it."

We stopped walking outside the girls' locker room. I let go of his arm and we both leaned against the wall facing each other. He shook his head before saying, "You don't see yourself very clearly. You're absolutely incredible." He reached his hand out, tucked my hair gently behind my ear and then trailed his fingers down my cheek. Then he bent down and whispered in my ear, "I'm sure you have many other hidden talents and I'm hopin' you'll let me figure them all out."

My breath caught in my throat as he leaned away from me a bit. I swallowed thickly as he stared at my lips before he smirked and said, "As much as I hate endin' this discussion right now, I don't think Coach Clapp would take too kindly to me bein' in the girls' locker room."

I quickly found my voice again and replied, "Probably not, but I'm sure that there are quite a few girls who wouldn't object to havin' you in there."

Jasper continued to smirk and bent down again to whisper seductively in my ear, "How 'bout you? Would you object?"

I looked right in his eyes before I placed my lips to his ear and whispered, "Wouldn't you like to know." With that said I grabbed my backpack from his shoulder and walked into the locker room before he could respond. I could feel his eyes on me and it took everything in me not to turn around and acknowledge him.

I noticed that Lauren and Jessica were both in this class and I made sure to change on the opposite side of the locker room from them. They both had been making snide comments about me all day and I didn't want to deal with them right now. Rosalie joined me a few seconds later. As we got ready for gym, she quietly said, "I saw that interaction between you and my cousin. He couldn't take his eyes off you as you walked away from him. When did you meet Jasper?"

I smiled as I pictured him and replied, "'Bout ten minutes ago; I met him after our American History class. But I've been seein' him around since yesterday at practice."

I finally snapped out of my thoughts of Jasper when I heard Rosalie gasp sharply. Her eyes were wide as she said, "Only ten minutes ago? I've never seen Jasper take to someone as quickly as he's taken to you. He's usually very standoffish; even more so since Charlotte did what she did. I think he's falling for you."

I bit my lip as a smile burst out across my face. My eyes were hopeful as I asked, "Really?"

She tipped her head to the side as she looked into my eyes and must have seen what she was looking for, because she shook her head and sighed before she said with a smile, "Alice was right."

I finished tying my shoes and chuckled softly and said, "Don't tell her I said this, but she's usually right. She has some weird sixth sense or somethin'. But what in particular was she right about this time?"

Rosalie crinkled her nose as she hooked her arm through mine to lead us from the locker room. She appeared to be debating with herself as to whether or not to answer me. As we entered the gym she finally said, "Alice said that you and Jasper were going to end up together, but that it would be better if we just let you two naturally meet. She said you're perfect for one another and I have to agree that she's right."

"So that's why neither of you mentioned to me that Bella was movin' to Forks. I thought I'd missed somethin' in your messages and phone calls," a smooth southern voice drawled. I turned quickly toward his voice and my eyes glazed over a bit as I took in his long black shorts and tight black t-shirt. The only requirement to our gym uniform was that it had to be solid colors, no pictures or words were allowed. With his blond hair, he made black look incredibly sexy.

Even though he was talking to Rosalie, he was looking at me. Since I had cheerleading practice after school and didn't want to change my clothes, I had put on my navy blue spandex shorts, a light blue tank top and my hair was pulled into a ponytail. His eyes traveled from my feet all the way up to my eyes, taking in every inch. I watched him swallow hard and before he said softly, "Wow, you look amazin'."

"Thank you; so do you," I replied and his answering smile made my heart flutter.

Instead of responding to Jasper's earlier comment toward her, Rosalie said, "Hmm, do you two want to join the rest of the class or just stand here staring at each other? I think Coach just said something about picking baseball positions and teams out of the box so things are fair." She pulled on both of our arms and we followed her to the box to pick our cards.

My card said blue team, pitcher. I handed the card to Coach Clapp and he wrote it down and handed me a baseball glove and a ball and directed me to the baseball field outside the gym. Jasper jogged up to me holding a catcher's mitt and facemask; Rosalie joined us holding a regular glove; we were all on the blue team together.

We were following Jessica and Lauren when I heard Lauren's nasally voice; she was pretending to have a private conversation, but making it obvious that she wanted me and everyone else to hear. "Did you see the fucking Barbie wannabe? I mean how tiny are those spandex shorts; the inseam is probably only an inch. Are her boobs even real? I bet she's had work done; there's no way anyone is lucky enough to be naturally built like that. Look at her twin, her boobs aren't that big. And have you heard her talk? She sounds like she's from some hicktown." I did my best to not laugh, but I was starting to shake.

Jasper looked at me, I'm sure worried that they were upsetting me, and whispered, "Bella?" Rosalie looked as if she was going to tackle Lauren.

I know Lauren, Jessica and many other people in the class were waiting for my response. I shook my head and laughed saying, "Those are the best insults she can think of, bless her heart. I'm from Texas and I'm proud of the things she would think make up a hicktown. Country boys and redneck girls, pickup trucks and buckin' broncos, cowboy boots and southern charm. I'll take a hicktown any day." I swear I saw Jasper's eyes darken a bit as I spoke.

I couldn't resist answering to one of her comments directly so I said, "Oh Lauren, in case you really need to know; they're real. I wouldn't want you to lose any beauty sleep over that burnin' question of yours."

I saw Lauren flush in anger and she took a few deep breaths before the color went away. Once she had reached the field she turned and said, "You know Bella, you really should let Jasper pitch if you want to have a chance at winning today. That is the position he plays on the school's team; you will just embarrass yourself. You probably can't even throw across home plate. You do know which one that is right?"

I gave her a tight lipped smile and said nothing in response. Coach Clapp came over to the field and heard the end of the conversation and said, "No switching positions. You will play what you picked for the rest of the week."

A few of the boys in the class groaned and Tyler Crowley whined, "Come on Coach, even though we'll be able to kick their asses with a girl pitching, I'd rather have a real challenge. I mean look at her, she is so tiny that there's no fucking way she can do a good job. Can't Jasper pitch?"

"Crowley, watch your language. Positions are final. Let's start," Coach Clapp blew his whistle and we all took our places.

Edward came running onto the field and said, "Sorry I'm late Coach, I got stuck after English."

Coach Clapp nodded, tossed Edward a glove and said, "Blue team, shortstop, get out there."

As he ran past me, he paused to say quietly, "You're pitching? Oh this will be great! I'm so glad I'm on your team." He winked at me and then ran between second and third bases. Rosalie blew him a kiss from where she stood on third base and he gave her his famous lopsided smile and a wink in return.

Tyler walked up to the plate holding a bat, rolled his eyes and said loudly and very condescendingly, "Now Bella, the object is to throw the ball across home plate making sure it is somewhere between my knees and shoulders, not too close to me and not too far away. Try to put a little muscle into the throw so it actually gets all the way here so I can hit it. Think you can do that babe?" He smirked and then winked at me.

I heard Jasper say, "Shut the fuck up Crowley and leave Bella alone."

I also heard Edward snicker a bit from my right. I turned to look at him and he nodded slightly at me.

I turned to stare at Jasper who had the catcher's mitt ready. I looked at Tyler, narrowed my eyes, leaned all my weight on my back foot, shifted forward and threw as hard as I could. I was rewarded with the sound of the ball smacking into Jasper's mitt, Tyler looking at me in disbelief and Coach Clapp yelling "Strike one!"

I blinked innocently and said, "Did I do somethin' wrong? Weren't you supposed to hit the ball? Let's try again shall we?"

Jasper's face lit up as he threw the ball back to me and I caught it effortlessly. Tyler shook his head and got ready. I threw a curveball at him. He tried to hit it, but didn't anticipate that the ball would curve downward as it arrived at the plate. Coach Clapp yelled, "Strike two!" and Tyler got red in the face and swore. Jasper was shaking with laughter as he threw the ball back to me.

Tyler glared at me and taunted me, "Come on Sweetheart, is that all you got? Two lucky throws is all you have in you. I bet you can't get me again. If I do hit it you _will_ be going to the party on Saturday with _me_."

Jasper stopped laughing, raised his facemask, stood up and got in Tyler's face. He towered over Tyler as he said menacingly, "She won't be goin' anywhere with you unless it's her choice. _Never_ force a lady to do somethin' she doesn't want to do." Then he lowered his voice and I think I heard him say, "Don't fuckin' mess with my girl."

'_His girl?_' I liked the sound of that. I hope that is what he said because I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't mind being Jasper Whitlock's girl. Jasper turned toward me and winked before he lowered his mask and got back behind home plate again. He called out, "Come on darlin', give him your best shot."

I took a deep breath and tried to focus on baseball and not on how gorgeous Jasper looked, especially when he was defending me. I twisted the baseball in my hand before I gripped it and threw it hard. Tyler smirked thinking I had thrown another fastball. I watched as he swung and didn't anticipate the fact that I had thrown a splitter. In the last few feet, the ball dropped toward his knees. Coach Clapp yelled, "Strike three, you're out Crowley!"

Tyler threw the bat toward the fence and stomped off toward the bench.

Two guys followed Tyler and I threw a bunch of different pitches at them. They weren't cocky so I wasn't as hard on them, but they both struck out and the teams switched sides.

Edward came over to me as I was walking toward the bench and he picked me up in a big hug. He laughed as he said, "Way to go Bella! I'm so glad I wasn't too late to see that."

Tyler was passing us as we met up with Jasper and Rose. Jasper was shaking out his hand as he said, "My hand actually stings a bit. Where did you learn to pitch like that darlin'?"

Tyler glared at me again and said, "I'd like to know the same thing."

"My Daddy was selected as a member of the All-American High School Team three years in a row as a pitcher. He was drafted by the Marlins, but turned them down to follow his real dream. If you look in the trophy case you'll see a plaque for him. My Step-Daddy currently plays for the Jacksonville Suns and before that for the San Antonio Missions as a pitcher. They both taught me everythin' they know. I was actually a relief pitcher on the boys' team at my last high school," I responded honestly. Edward was just laughing since he knew my story.

Rose smacked Edward in the back of the head and said, "You knew all of this? How did I not know? Alice is one of my best friends and she never mentioned anything about Charlie playing and being drafted or about Bella playing."

I laughed again and responded for Edward, "Well, everythin' with Daddy was so long ago that it probably never came up and as for me—well Alice thought I was weird to want to play baseball on the boys' team so she probably didn't tell anyone. She thinks I should just stick to cheerleadin'."

Once the red team was in place, Edward stepped to the plate to bat. Tyler was pitching and I was a little worried that he was going to give us a hard time since he was sore about being struck out by me. Edward was able to get on base by the second pitch and Jasper easily followed him with a double. Two girls from our team struck out and then I was next.

Tyler sneered at me as I stepped up to the plate and said, "I hope you don't think that I'm going to go easy on you because you're a girl."

I smiled sweetly and answered, "I wouldn't dream of it."

I looked around the outfield and noticed Lauren was in left field and Jessica was on second with Jasper. Tyler moved a bit and I saw Jessica trying to flirt with Jasper and my jealousy flared. I focused on Tyler and watched how he gripped the ball and shifted his weight as he threw the ball. I leaned on my back leg and swung hard. The bat connected soundly with the ball and flew directly toward Jessica's head. She was watching Jasper run toward third and noticed at the last second that the ball was going to hit her. Instead of using her glove and catching the ball, she screamed and ducked. I made it to third base before the ball was back in play.

The next guy that was up struck out so we switched sides. The game went another two innings before class was over. Only two people managed to hit a ball I threw and both balls were caught. Our team didn't score again either so the blue team won 2-0.

After the game, we all went back to the locker rooms. Rose and I waited for Alice who came in to change for cheerleading practice. It had been Rose's idea to say nothing to Alice about Jasper and me meeting. So I focused on other things as Alice got ready.

As she changed I asked her, "So Alice, what was your meetin' about that kept you from lunch?"

Alice looked over at me and I could see the excitement in her eyes as she said, "There were a couple of things Coach Kate needed to talk to us about, but the most important thing was that the new uniforms arrived. They are so cute and you are going to look really hot in yours. They are so much better than the old uniforms. The skirts are shorter and the tops are more fitted. We will all try them on at the end of practice so adjustments can be made before Friday morning if they are needed."

I gave her a confused look as I said, "Don't you mean Friday night?"

She shook her head as she pulled as much of her hair as she could into a ponytail. "No, I mean Friday morning. We all wear our uniforms to school when there's a game. There's also a Pep Rally Friday afternoon in place of last period. That was one of the other things she needed to talk to us about. "

I sighed as we followed her outside. The guys weren't there yet so I asked, "What else was the meetin' about?"

Alice glanced uneasily at Rose and said, "I guess Charlotte is pretty pissed that you took her place on the team; even though she knows you earned it since Coach Kate chose the team. I mean, hell, she barely made the team last year and then she missed so many practices that she had to sit out half the cheers. I can't believe she thought she had a chance this year. Coach Kate told us to watch out for you in case she tries to take her anger out on you."

I sighed and then said, "I sure am rackin' up the enemies today. Just add her name to the list of people that hate me."

I felt two hands rest on my shoulders and I immediately relaxed as I heard a smooth voice near my ear quietly say, "There ain't no possible way someone could hate you; you're too sweet."

I turned my head to the side as I looked up and behind me. As my brown eyes met Jasper's blue ones I smiled. Our moment was interrupted by an ear-piercing squeal. I whipped my head in the direction of the noise and watched as my sister jumped up and down. When the squealing stopped, the questions began. "When did you two meet? How did you meet? Where did you meet? You have met right? Of course you have or you wouldn't be looking at each other like that. What is going to happen now? Don't they look perfect together? Why isn't anyone answering my questions? He's your blond mystery god isn't he?" Alice finally stopped to take a breath and noticed that I was beet red in the face. Everyone else was quietly laughing as Alice was rambling and hadn't noticed me. Well, that's not completely true. As soon as they heard the last question, all eyes focused on me. Emmett looked like he was going to start jumping up and down with Alice and Jasper looked down at me, his eyes both confused and amused.

"How?" I was all I was able to stutter.

"Bella, you still talk in your sleep. You were muttering about how you couldn't find your blond mystery god. Then you said and I quote, 'I can't be lettin' Alice know 'bout my blond mystery god. I need to meet him by myself,'" she said in a perfect imitation of my accent.

I could feel my eyes getting bigger and my face grew even hotter. I whispered, "Oh my goodness." I tried to step away from Jasper, but I felt his hands tighten a bit on my shoulders so I wasn't able to leave.

A huge barking laugh came from Emmett and everyone looked at him. He started to jump and point at Jasper as he said, "Dude, she's your hot mystery goddess isn't she?"

It was Jasper's turn to stutter, "What?"

"When I carried you to class you were muttering about how you missed meeting your hot mystery goddess yet again, after you finished cursing me out for not putting you down," Emmett said through his laughter.

I decided to take a chance and look up at Jasper. He had a slight blush on his cheeks, but he gave me a sheepish look. I raised my eyebrows and bit my lip while giving him a small smile.

"So now that we got that out of the way, is anyone going to answer my questions?" Alice said impatiently.

I took a deep breath and said almost as quickly as she had asked the questions, "Of course we've met. We met after American History as I was kneelin' on the ground outside tryin' to pack my bag. He offered to help, he held my hand as I stood up, we flirted, he escorted me to gym, we talked, we had gym, I pitched durin' the baseball game, and here we are. I have no idea what's gonna happen now and I'm not able to judge how we look together. Yes he's my blond mystery god. I can't believe I still talk in my sleep. And no one answered your questions because you ask too damn many of them for anyone other than me to keep straight."

"You pitched?" Alice questioned in disbelief.

"That's what you take away from everythin' I just said? Yes Alice, I pitched. It was the position I drew from the box. I struck out Tyler Crowley too; you should've seen his face. He had been tauntin' me 'bout how I probably couldn't even get it 'cross the plate," I said with excitement.

Probably sensing that Alice was about to blow her top regarding me and baseball, Rosalie said, "Hey Alice, you were right."

The distraction worked and Alice turned to her and said, "Of course I was right; but what exactly was I right about this time?" Before she let Rose respond, she turned to me and said, "Don't think that you're off the hook. I want all the details later."

I nodded and Rosalie responded, "You were right about Jasper and Bella and not interfering. They're perfect together."

Alice jumped toward us and said, "_Are_ you together?"

I blushed again and shook my head as I said, "Umm."

Jasper saved me from answering by saying, "Alice, we just met an hour and a half ago. We haven't had much time to get to know one another." He let go of my shoulders and stepped in front of me. He reached down for my hands and I felt the same tingle as I did the first time he held my hand. He continued saying, "I'd like to get to know you better darlin'. What do you say?"

I nodded and said, "I think that sounds like an excellent idea. Do you wanna come over for dinner tonight? Emmett, Rose and Edward are comin' and Daddy's workin' late. Afterwards we can talk for a while; if you'd like?"

"I'll be there!" Jasper said with a grin.

"Great, now that that's settled, we all have practices to get to. Bella, Rose, I need your help sorting the new uniforms before practice starts. We will see you boys later," Alice said before she jumped into Emmett's arms to kiss him goodbye. I noticed nothing else as Jasper raised one of my hands to his lips and kissed it before he turned and walked away with Edward and Emmett. This time it was my turn to watch _him_ walk away.

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><p>AN: The song "Hicktown" is by Jason Aldean.<p>

Sorry if this chapter was too long, but the next few aren't going to be much shorter as we will finally learn Jasper and Bella's stories.

I have some very faithful reviewers and I appreciate them so much. I would love to get some new reviewers too. The next chapter is pretty much written so the more reviews I get the faster it will be up.

So I would love to get some opinions on this chapter. My Bella isn't clumsy and shy, but rather kickass and sweet yet sassy. Do ya'll like her? How about Jasper?

Fill in the blank: I think Bella is _ and Jasper is _ and I _ them!

Please please review, even a word or two makes my day and gets chapters out to you faster!

Next Chapter: Dinner and Jasper's story


	7. Can I Trust You With My Heart?

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and alerts on the last chapter! ThornRose16, SkylerBlack, Astrid's Fire, AlwaysJASPERsLOVE, angmclure, kateandjasper, TwilightAddict71484, IheartJW, deerslayer1100, filmdork and ellaryne—you all made my week with your reviews!

Things will get a bit serious this chapter.

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><p><em>Chapter Seven ~ Can I Trust You With My Heart?<em>

_(JPOV)_

Somehow I made it through practice; and after a fast shower, I was finally on my way to the Swan's house. Emmett and Edward both left practice a couple of minutes before I did. I was nervous as I pulled up the house. I could see Alice sitting on Emmett's lap on the living room couch through the front window. Everyone else must have been in the kitchen since I couldn't see them. I sat in my truck for a few minutes trying to gather my nerves to go inside.

I practically jumped out of my skin when someone opened the passenger door of my truck and got in quietly. The scent of roses slowly reached me and I looked over at her, my face expressionless.

"What are you doing sitting out here?" Rosalie asked warily.

"I don't know. I'm as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full o' rockin' chairs. I've fallen for her Rose, and I feel like it's too damn quick. Char tore me apart and I hate to say it, but I'm scared," I replied honestly.

"Bella's scared too. She and I went to the store after practice to get some things she needed for dinner and she said practically the same thing you just did," Rose said as she placed her hand on my arm to comfort me.

"Why's she so scared?" I wondered out loud. My eyes were searching Rosalie's looking for some clue.

"You need to hear her story from her. Alice told me what happened to her; and from what I have heard, you two unfortunately have more in common than being from Texas. She's just as broken as you are. I think you could help each other. Edward and I are leaving after dinner and I'm sure Alice and Emmett will find some way to occupy their time. You should get to know Bella better," Rose said.

I nodded and took a deep breath and asked the question I needed to know the answer to, "Does she know my story?"

She shook her head slowly as she said, "She knows that Charlotte's the bitch that hurt you. She told me that she wants to hear your story from you when you're ready. She wouldn't let me tell her anything other than that you'd be able to understand her completely. I've known her almost my entire life and the sweet girl you met today is the real Bella, she isn't putting on airs; she is truly a good person. You can trust her Jasper."

Rosalie squeezed my arm and said, "Now come on, there's a hot girl inside waiting for you. Dinner's almost ready and it smells wonderful."

I nodded and we both got out of the truck. We walked side by side to the front door, which I opened it for her. We were greeted with the most mouthwatering smells and the sounds of a commotion coming from the kitchen. I followed Rose and we paused in the doorway to watch the scene in front of us. Alice was standing on a chair trying to find something in the cupboard above the refrigerator; and Bella had her back to us while she was scolding Emmett with a wooden spoon in her hand, as Edward watched from the table.

"Emmett McCarty don't you dare eat that chicken yet. You'll burn your mouth somethin' fierce. Why don't you do somethin' useful and help Alice find that pie plate. And stop eatin' my graham crackers, I need those for dessert," she said as she smacked his hand with the wooden spoon.

"Ouch, I'm just hungry and it all smells so good. You don't have to hit," Emmett told her as he turned to help Alice, while rubbing his hand. I took a good look at Bella as she worked. She was wearing black leggings, a grey tank top, sandals and her hair was braided down her back; a red apron covered her clothes.

Bella was cracking eggs into a bowl when she heard Emmett's comment. She threw the shells in the garbage and turned around saying, "Sorry I hit you; but you were hinderin', not helpin'. Oh, hi Jasper. Pull up a chair and get comfortable. Dinner'll be ready soon."

Instead of sitting, I washed my hands in the sink and then joined her at the counter. I wiped a smudge of flour from her cheek and said, "Is there anythin' I can do to help you darlin'?"

She looked around and said, "You can hand me the pie plate Alice just found, and if you could find the big platter in that cupboard over there for the chicken, that would be a huge help."

I handed her the pie plate and then went looking for the platter. By the time I found it, she was putting the now assembled pie in the oven, removing fresh biscuits and setting a timer. She put the biscuits into a basket and covered them with a towel. She then handed Rose a dish of beans and the basket and gave Alice a bowl of mashed potatoes and a full gravy boat. She put the fried chicken on the platter and gave it to Rose who had returned to help her. She took off her apron and stopped at the refrigerator for a pitcher of sweet tea on her way to the table. I followed and pulled out her chair for her. She smiled and gestured for me to take the seat next to her.

Rose was on my other side and she leaned toward me and whispered, "Not only could she give Grams a run for her money in how she runs a kitchen, just wait until you try her food. Make sure you save room for the pie; you won't be sorry."

I thought Rosalie was exaggerating until I took my first bite. The fried chicken and biscuits were the best I had ever eaten. I could tell the gravy was homemade and it too was excellent. I turned toward Bella and said, "This is delicious darlin'; is there anythin' you can't do?"

Bella blushed as she laughed and responded, "Oh there's plenty of things I can't do. You just happened to meet me on a good day."

Halfway through my third helping, the timer sounded and Bella got up to take the pie out of the oven to cool. Once we all had finished eating, everyone helped clear the table and do dishes as Bella finished the pie by making homemade whipped cream and slicing some bananas for the top. She cut pieces for everyone and placed them on the table just as we finished the dishes.

I took a bite and moaned a bit. I had never eaten a better pie. "Mmmm, what kind of pie is this?"

Edward answered my question by saying, "This is Sawdust Pie. It is our Gran's recipe and Bella's the only one who can make it as well as she does. It might even be better; but don't tell Gran I said that, Alice. I know you would love to get me in trouble with her." Alice's eyes lit up as if he had just given her an early birthday present. Edward groaned at Alice's response and pinched the bridge of his nose.

I helped Bella wash the dessert plates when we were done. Edward and Rosalie left and soon after, Alice and Emmett disappeared upstairs. We worked quietly until I heard Bella whisper 'shoot' under her breath. She threw the towel she was using to dry dishes with onto the counter and ran out of the room. I followed behind to hear her yell up the stairs, "Not on my bed again, Alice. Keep it on your side of the room and make sure the window's shut!" I was a bit confused about why she yelled about the window.

She turned toward me and said, "Do you wanna go sit on the front porch with me? We can talk out there without havin' to hear them."

The window comment became clear immediately. "I'd love to." As I followed her outside, I grabbed a sweatshirt I saw hanging by the door. She raised an eyebrow at the sweatshirt as we sat on two chairs that were angled toward each other. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I don't want you to get cold." She smiled and tucked one of her legs under her as she faced me.

We looked at one another and the silence became a bit awkward. We were both feeling the pressure of what we needed to say to each other. I took a deep breath and said, "So, dinner was really great and that pie was excellent."

Bella tipped her head to the side and said, "Thank you for the compliments, but small talk Jasper? Really?"

I leaned my head back and rubbed both of my hands across my face before dropping them to my lap to look at her. She looked so innocent waiting for me to say something. I swallowed hard before saying, "I don't know what to say. Shit. I like you. A lot. Every minute I spend with you, I feel myself fallin' harder. But I'm scared to open myself up again. Rose told me that you of all people would understand my story the best. I hate what that means for you. I can't imagine anyone bein' able to hurt you the way Char did to me."

Bella leaned forward and placed her hand on mine and said, "I'm scared too Jasper. I've been hurt real bad, but I wanna move on from it. I like you a lot too and I don't want what's happenin' between us to become some fling. You already mean more to me than that. I've heard so much about you over the past years that I feel like I know you already. Somehow this all seems so easy and natural and that too scares me."

I glanced at our hands and then into her eyes as I spoke quietly. "I thought that seein' Char at school today was gonna bring back all the memories of that night and that I'd be a wreck. All the memories did come back, but then I'd see your face and it didn't hurt as much. When I heard your song, I realized that I wasn't gonna let what she did rule my life; that I was stronger than that."

I paused to gather my thoughts and Bella just smiled softly at me. I looked away from her and out into the darkness of the yard. I sighed and said, "I know I want you in my life, but…" I took a deep breath and turned to face her again. I looked into her brown eyes and whispered, "Can I trust you with my heart?"

Bella's eyes filled with tears and she moved closer to me so she could reach out the hand I wasn't holding to touch my face. She smoothed out my forehead which I hadn't noticed was scrunched up and trailed her fingers down my face until her hand fell to my chest. She rested her hand over my heart and bit her lip before saying, "You can trust me Jasper. I would never hurt you. I'd be honored to be entrusted with somethin' so precious. But in order to take care of your heart, I'll need to give you mine. I think we can only do that if we know why the other's heart was broken. Will you tell me your story Jasper?"

I nodded slowly and said, "Can I have a minute first to gather my thoughts?"

Bella stood up and said, "Of course you can. I'll go get us somethin' to drink. What would you like?"

I gave her a half smile and said, "Some more of that sweet tea would be great."

"Sweet tea comin' up; I'll be right back," she said as she walked into the house.

A couple of minutes later she appeared on the porch holding a tray with two glasses full of ice and the pitcher of tea. She set the tray on the small table between the chairs, poured two glasses and sat down in her chair without saying a word. I picked up my glass and took a drink before setting it down again and leaning back in my chair. I stared at the tree in the middle of the yard and took a deep breath.

I started to talk, getting lost in my memories. "Charlotte was the only girl I ever dated seriously. She was the only girl I slept with and the only girl I loved. We started datin' in the summer, right before I turned seventeen. Even though I went to Texas in the summer, we talked on the phone frequently. We were together for all of Junior year. I didn't spend as much time as normal with my friends last year; Char didn't get along well with Edward and Alice. I talked to them a lot and that pissed Char off; it was one of the things we fought about frequently. The relationship wasn't perfect, but I loved her."

I paused to look at Bella. She had her legs pulled up on the chair and her arms were wrapped around them as she listened to me. I winced a bit as said, "I've run through what happened that night so many times that the only way I can tell you is to describe everythin'. I'm not goin' to sugarcoat it; I'm just goin' to tell it like it was. Unfortunately for you, that means you'll get to hear some of what I was thinkin' and I'm sorry ahead of time if it's crude."

Bella nodded her head without moving from her position. I faced the darkness again and told my story.

"_My parents were in town and insisted that we had a family dinner on the night of Char's and my one year anniversary and so we had to postpone our celebrations. I got permission from Charlotte's parents to set up a romantic surprise dinner for us at her home the next night. I used the key that her Momma gave me to get into the house since they were goin' to be gone for the night. I set up the meal that our maid had prepared. I had asked her to make Charlotte's favorites. I would've tried makin' it myself, but I was worried that it wouldn't be good enough. _

_I heard her car pull into the driveway and I made sure she couldn't see me when she came in the house. The front door opened and I heard Charlotte come in and go straight to her room, like I knew she would. I had left a note on her bed along with a rose. I figured she would read it, change out of her work clothes and then come down. _

_While I waited for her, I lit the candles, took the food out of the oven and put it and the roses I had bought her on the table. After a few minutes, I heard a lot of noise comin' from upstairs. Then I heard Charlotte moanin'. "Oh yeah, harder, harder. That's it, mmm baby," I heard her yell. I knew those sounds well; hell, I had just heard 'em two nights before. _

_I went up the stairs and the closer I got to her room, the louder the moans became. By the time I got to her door, she was screamin' in pleasure and my heart was breakin'. I opened her door, knowin' that our relationship was over; but I had to see who she would ruin it for. Tangled together on top of the bed were Charlotte and Peter Johnson._

"_What the hell is goin' on here? Char, how could you do this to me? With Peter? What the fuck is happenin'?" I barely was able to stutter. I was so hurt and confused. Peter Johnson had hated me for years and I had no idea why. He made it his mission to try to screw me over at every possible chance. It looked like it worked this time. _

"_Oh this? I'm cheating on you with Peter. Well, not really since I have been dating him for two years, so I guess I've been cheating on him; but maybe not, since this was his idea. This is confusing," Charlotte said with indifference. _

"_Why?" I choked out quietly._

"_You just don't get it Jasper. I got what I needed from you. I won the bet against Peter. Hell, even if I didn't beat Peter, I still won. I got to fuck both of you. Fucking you _over_ was just a bonus._

"_What bet?" I asked, afraid to know the answer._

"_Peter bet me that I couldn't date you both for more than six months without you catching onto me. I bet that I could go at least a year. I win," she said with a smirk._

"_What did I ever do to you to deserve this?" I asked not really expectin' an answer. _

"_Remember the Sadie Hawkins Dance?" Charlotte said with an edge to her voice._

_I racked my brain tryin' to remember anythin' about a Sadie Hawkins Dance. The only one I could think of was in middle school. "You mean the one in eighth grade?" I asked._

"_Obviously. I asked you to go with me after your football practice. You turned me down in front of all the guys from the grade. No one would go with me after you said no," she said while glarin' at me._

"_I had already agreed to go with Alice. She had asked me days before you did. You mean that's the reason you two had to fuck with me for the last year?" I asked dumbfounded._

_Charlotte rolled her eyes and climbed off of Peter, sighin' softly as their bodies disconnected. Hearin' that was like a slap in the face to me. She stood up and walked toward her closet. I couldn't help but look at her as she walked by me. She had a great rack, but right then I was disgusted with her. _

"_Yeah, mostly. But then there was the fact that you dated Stacy Kelly and Peter here had been trying to get with her for almost a year when you took her from him," Charlotte said as she walked out of her closet wearing a bathrobe. _

"_Stacy Kelly? We went out for less than two months freshman year. I didn't know she was spoken for. If I recall she dated Peter after she dated me. How could you do this to me Char?" I was barely holdin' myself together through the anger and hurt. _

_Peter thought this would be a good time to stand up and talk. I made a mental note that Char was seriously downgradin' when she slept with him, but that wasn't the point. Peter walked up to me, naked as a jaybird and looked up at me. If he was going for intimidation, it wasn't gonna work as he said, "All Stacy ever did was compare me to you. You and your southern manners and charm. She constantly asked me why I didn't say sweet things like you did. It made me hate everything about you; and when she broke up with me because I didn't have an accent, I made it my mission to ruin you. Char was only too willing to help. Luckily Char is perfect for me so it was easy to work with her to fuck you over." Peter walked over to Charlotte and rubbed himself against her as he kissed her._

_I thought I would be sick as I watched. My eyes were fillin' with tears as I whispered, "I love you Char. I thought you loved me too."_

_Charlotte smirked and said, "Pretty good acting, huh? The only good thing about pretending to date you was the sex. You really are a good fuck. I love that Peter's okay with an open relationship. The nights I wasn't with you two, Paul from the reservation was always willing to play. I just told him that he had to keep his mouth shut or I wouldn't come back again. Leah Clearwater was pretty good too when you boys weren't available. Ehh, well, Paul and Leah will still be around next time Peter is busy, so good riddance to you Jasper. I'm not going to miss being called Sugar. It was sickeningly sweet and I hated it. Bye Jasper, we're done here and I wanna fuck my real boyfriend again." Charlotte pushed me into the hall and shut the door in my face._

_I couldn't process what had just happened, but somehow I found myself walkin' down the stairs to leave. On the stairs I saw Rosalie and Edward. Rose was cryin' and Edward was lookin' murderous._

_Edward grabbed me and Rose and led us outside. He looked at me and said, "What the hell was that? Rose and I came to drop off the dessert that she made for you two and we walked in to hear what I am guessing was the whole thing."_

"_Char, Peter, cheatin', Sadie Hawkins Dance, Stacy Kelly, Paul, Leah. I gotta go. I'll be at Grams'," I stammered not really able to focus on anything. _

I spent the next five weeks wallowin' on Grams' ranch and ignorin' everybody. Grams finally told me that she was 'fixin' to whoop my ass if I didn't buck up and face my demons.' So for the next four weeks I kept myself busy and did everythin' I could to forget 'bout that bitch. I realized that I can't forget, but that there's no way in hell I'm gonna let her ruin the rest of my life."

I blinked hard to clear my eyes and get back my focus. I heard sniffling coming from beside me and turned to see Bella with tears streaming down her face. Her arms were still wrapped tightly around her legs and I noticed that she was shaking and had turned pale. But the worst thing to see was that behind the tears, her eyes were empty.

I touched her foot and then her hands. Neither got any reaction from her. I cleared my throat and said, "Bella? Bella darlin'? Isabella are you alright?" There was no response.

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><p>AN: "Can I Trust You With My Heart?" is by Travis Tritt. It is absolutely perfect for Jasper and you should listen to it!

Cliffhanger! What did you think of Jasper's story? Was it good enough? What do you think of Charlotte?

Anybody find the irony in the name Peter Johnson? Two names that can mean dick since that is what he is in my story!

Please review and tell me what you think! (Please take 30 seconds and type something—I'm desperate for more feedback.)

Next chapter: Bella's story


	8. Broken

A/N: It seems that there were some issues with fanfiction last week; I lost a few faithful reviewers so I am hoping it was the fanfiction issue and not that the last chapter was bad. But I do want to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited or put the story on alert. To: SkylerBlack, AlwaysJASPERsLOVE, angmclure, kateandjasper, TwilightAddict71484, IheartJW, ellaryne, tee hill, and wendy1969, thank you all so much for your reviews. I love each and every one of them.

Warning, this story is rated M and though we haven't gotten to lemons yet, there is a slight reason for the rating other than language during this chapter. You've been warned.

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><p><em>Chapter Eight ~ Broken<em>

_(BPOV)_

I heard everything Jasper had said. I knew that he was trying to get my attention, but I just couldn't react. My heart had broken even further when I heard his story and I was so angry with Charlotte that it was taking everything in me not to scream. I wanted to cry, I wanted to yell, and I wanted to comfort Jasper; but I couldn't, I could hardly breathe. I felt like I had shut down; I couldn't see anything but red and I couldn't move.

I don't know how long I was shut off from everything before I realized that I was no longer sitting on the chair. At some point my eyes had shut and warmth had surrounded me. I opened my eyes and noticed that I was still in the same position, in the same chair, only now Jasper was the one sitting on it and he was holding me tightly. He had wrapped the sweatshirt around me, probably in an attempt to stop my shaking. My head was on his shoulder as I sat sideways in his lap. He was stroking my head with one hand while his other hand was gripping my waist. His cheek was resting on the top of my head and he was whispering, "Shh, darlin', it's okay. Don't cry sweetheart. Come back to me. Shh, darlin', it's okay."

My arms released my legs and I turned further into him, wrapping my arms around his back as my face buried into his chest. I held onto him with every bit of strength I could find and he held me just as tightly. I could feel him relax a bit and I could tell it was because I was finally responding again. He continued to hold me, not saying a word, as I slowly calmed.

I heard and felt him exhale sharply before he said, "I shouldn't have told you my story Bella. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you so upset. Please forgive me." I leaned back and looked into his eyes. They were filled with sadness and concern.

I shook my head and I'm sure the look in my eyes matched the stern tone of my voice as I said, "Listen to what I have to say. Don't you dare apologize to me Jasper Whitlock. What just happened to me had nothin' to do with you and everythin' to do with the bitch that hurt you and the bastard that hurt me. Rose told me today that you're the only one who could understand me. It pisses me off that she was right. I know it isn't becomin' of me to be swearin' like a sailor, but I'm so fuckin' mad at Charlotte and James right now that I could spit nails. I didn't deserve what James did to me and you sure as hell didn't deserve what Charlotte did to you."

Jasper tilted his head to the side and his face reflected confusion. His eyebrows creased and he frowned as he said, "You mean you're not gonna run away from me after hearin' my story? When I saw you cryin' all I could think was that you would want nothin' to do with me."

I felt my anger slip away as I heard him speak. I placed my fingers over his lips to stop him from saying anything else. I said softly, but firmly, "Don't think that way. I'm not goin' anywhere. I'm gonna be right here for you. But Jasper, you gotta know, I'm just as broken as you are." I took a breath and whispered, "Maybe even more."

He pulled me close to him and held my head against his chest as he asked, "What the fuck did James do to you? How could someone ever break you?"

I sighed as tears sprung to my eyes. I sniffled a bit and pushed myself away from him. I stood up and walked to the edge of the porch, there I leaned against the column on the corner and stared at nothing in particular in the yard. I put my arms into the sleeves of the zip-up sweatshirt and wrapped it tightly around my middle. I knew that Jasper was still sitting in my chair, but I couldn't turn around to face him.

I took a few deep calming breaths before I turned around and looked at him again. He was staring at me, just waiting for me to say something. "It was about nine weeks ago that Charlotte broke you?" I asked.

He nodded and watched me as I walked across the porch to sit in the chair he had been in earlier. I sat on the edge of the chair and rested my forearms on my thighs, folded my hands together and leaned forward. I stared at the boards of the porch in front of my feet. I bit my lip for a minute before I said, "Alice and Rose really weren't kiddin' when they said we had a lot in common. Nine weeks ago this past Friday, my Momma got remarried. I'm gonna tell you my story now Jasper; and like you, I'm not gonna sugarcoat anythin'."

I swallowed thickly before I got lost in my memories.

"_James and his family had moved to San Antonio at the start of high school from New York City. He was different than all the guys I grew up with, so I was drawn to him. He had sandy brown hair and was a little rough around the edges. He showed me how to ride a motorcycle and took me cliff-divin' and bungee jumpin'. _

_I'd dated a few boys before James, but nothin' ever got very serious; so I was still pretty innocent when I started datin' James a little over a year ago. I gave myself to him fully and thought I'd received as much as I'd given. He didn't like Alice; she was the one thing that we'd fight about. He always told me that I didn't have a mind of my own and that Alice was a manipulative bitch. I'd defend her and he'd apologize and convince me that he was just tryin' to get me to be independent and not rely on Alice._

_I felt a bit melancholy as James and I swayed back and forth to the slow music of the weddin' reception. The weddin' had been perfect. Alice and I wore matchin' green sundresses as we watched our Momma marry Phil in an outdoor ceremony in the middle of a beautiful garden. I looked at my Momma dancin' with Phil, lookin' at him as if they were in their own little world. _

_I then looked at Alice dancin' with Emmett, who had flown down earlier that week for the weddin'. She was standin' on his feet as they twirled around the dance floor. The two of them looked just as in love with each other as the bride and groom did. _

_I saw my Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle talkin' to my Gran. Gran looked so happy to have both of her daughters together again. Instead of feelin' happy, I was sad. I missed my Daddy. The two months each summer that I spent with him just weren't enough. I knew my decision was the best one for almost everyone. I had put off tellin' James my news, but I knew I couldn't avoid it any longer. _

_I leaned back and looked up into James' grey eyes. I gave him a sad smile and he responded with a confused look. I took a shaky breath and said quietly, "Can we get somethin' to drink and go somewhere quiet?"_

_He smirked and nodded toward the path that led into the thick gardens. He said, "You go over there and I'll get the drinks."_

_I found a bench a little ways down the path and sat to wait for him. He joined me holdin' a bottle of bourbon. I thought he would've brought punch or water, but hey, it was a weddin' right? So I took the bottle from him and took a small drink before handin' it back to him. He took a long drink and then leaned over me while tryin' to lift my dress._

_I put my hand on top of his and said, "James, wait. I have somethin' I need to tell you." His hand stopped movin' and he said, "I thought we were coming out here to have sex. What could you possibly have to say that's more important than that right now?" He started to kiss me and push me back on the bench. _

_I didn't want to put it off any longer so I said quickly between kisses, "I'm movin' to Forks."_

_He froze above me and I watched as his eyes darkened and flashed angrily before he quickly composed himself and said coldly, "You're leaving me? I'm not done with you yet." _

_My heart felt like it was breakin'. I thought he loved me so much that he didn't want to let me go. "Momma and Phil are movin' to Jacksonville. I figure if I have to transfer for my senior year, I might as well spend time with Daddy and Alice. I'm not able to stay here," I said sadly._

_James looked at me, his eyes blank as he said, "You know what, I'm drunk and I don't want to deal with this right now. I'll talk to you tomorrow at the party." He let go of me and left me in the garden. I cried for a few minutes before I straightened my dress and once I felt composed enough I returned to the weddin'. _

_Alice and I met him the next night at a local party. He seemed like the James I loved and I figured he had just been upset the night before and needed time to adjust to my news. He started drinkin' with some guys from school and Alice and I wandered around the party with my friend Anna, dancin' and enjoyin' the night. I hadn't seen James in a while, but I knew he wouldn't leave without sayin' goodbye so I wasn't worried. _

_Alice, Anna and I had wandered upstairs to find a quiet room so Alice could call Emmett, who had returned to Forks that mornin'. Alice didn't know anyone at the party and I wasn't going to leave her side once I lost track of James. I saw a door that was half open and figured that would be a good room for her phone call. _

_It wasn't a good room for a phone call, but it was definitely a good room in which to end a relationship. There on the bed was James with a naked redhead on top of him. Somehow I found my voice and squeaked, "James? What the hell are you doin'?"_

_A sinister lookin' smirk appeared on his face as he turned his face toward the door. He glanced between me, Alice and Anna who had joined me in the doorway and said in the coldest voice I had ever heard, "Well you're no good to me anymore. You're a damn good fuck, but I'm not going to miss pretending to care about you and your bitchy twin sister. Vicky here always lets me fuck her and leave. I don't have to deal with any of that relationship bullshit," James didn't even stop thrustin' into Victoria as she continued to ride him while he completely destroyed me. _

"_Vicky? I thought you were my friend, how could you do this to me? What did I ever do to you?" I asked the girl who had been one of my best friends through freshman year. She screamed her release and then turned to face me as she kept bouncin' on James. Between bounces, in a choppy voice she answered, "Because...you…always…get…everythin'…and I…wanted…to fuck…you…over…for once." _

_Tears were streamin' down my face as I asked, "Why James?"_

_He grunted as he came before he said, "Why? Because I could. You were so naïve and I wanted to be the one to break you. I almost gave up since it took you a fucking eight months to _willingly_ put out," he answered with a malicious gleam in his eyes. _

_I know I looked confused as I replayed the phrase 'willingly put out' in my mind. Victoria had climbed off him and had taken him in her mouth as she tried to get him off again._

_He laughed at me and said, "That's right you little bitch; there is no fucking way I would have stayed around that long if I wasn't getting any from you. Just because you weren't aware we were having sex doesn't mean that we weren't. I fucked you after our third date, after I realized that you weren't going to put out easily. Maybe you should watch what you drink at parties. You never know when someone might put something in your drink. Once you consciously let me fuck you, the only reason I stuck around was because you really are good in the sack. It was way better once you were an active participant."_

_I started to hyperventilate as I whispered, "I thought you loved me."_

_He scoffed and said, "Just empty words babe to get what I wanted." He threaded his hands into Victoria's hair and moved her head up and down faster, tryin' to find his release. _

_I was frozen in the doorway, not able to tear myself away from the horrible scene in front of me. I could feel Alice and Anna tryin' to pull me back but I didn't let them until I heard James say, "By the way Bella, _now_ I'm done with you." _

_Alice dragged me to the police station the next mornin' and we both gave a statement against James. I don't really remember what I said, but he was brought in for questionin' and he denied everythin'. I had no real proof; it was our word against his and I looked like a scorned ex-girlfriend. Some of the guys from school were arrested on drug possession later in the summer, but James had been clean. _

_Lookin' back, I should've figured it all out sooner. James always carried me inside my house after I had supposedly had too much to drink. I always woke up in my bed after parties, but I never noticed any soreness; the massive hangovers I had probably distracted me from it. Momma never suspected anythin' either. The first time I knew we were havin' sex I remember thinkin' it should've hurt; but I figured it didn't because of all the horseback ridin' I had done in the past. I know he wasn't lyin' to me that night. I had had what I thought were dreams about havin' sex at parties, but now I know they were memories. I realize now that I was an object to him, one he could do with as he pleased._

It took most of the past nine weeks to find myself again. Alice and I spent seven weeks helpin' Momma fix up her new house in Jacksonville. We spent time on the beach and Alice helped me realize that I can move past what happened and in time I'll be stronger for it."

I raised my eyes from the porch to look at Jasper. His eyes were wild and his knuckles were white as he gripped the armrests of the chair. His breathing was fast and shallow.

"Jasper?" I whispered, not sure what to say to him.

"He raped you for eight months?" Jasper seethed through clenched teeth.

My face fell forward into my hands as I felt waves of shame crash over me. I began to cry, knowing that Jasper wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore now that he knew my past.

Not more than five seconds passed before I felt strong arms wrap around me. "Bella darlin', please look at me," he said softly, but I could still detect an edge to his voice.

I lifted my head from my hands and saw him kneeling next to my chair with one of his arms draped over me. He brought his other hand to my face and brushed away my tears. I bit my lip and all I could say was, "I'm sorry."

He shook his head and said, "What the hell do you have to be sorry for?"

I shrugged my shoulders and replied, "I'm sorry I'm so broken. I'm sorry I let him use me. And I'm sorry that I was so stupid as to love him. You can go Jasper; you don't need to waste your time with me. I'm not worth it."

Jasper pulled me off my chair and sat me on the porch facing him. We both crossed our legs and he picked up my hands with his. "It's your turn to listen to me," he said sternly.

I stared into his eyes as he leaned forward and said, "You have absolutely nothin' to be sorry for. James should be in jail for what he did to you. You did nothin' wrong. He's a bastard who will rot in hell for hurtin' you. You're worth every second of my time and I am gonna do everythin' I can to fix you. You can trust me Bella."

I squeezed his hands and replied, "I already do."

Jasper gave me a soft smile and said, "And I trust you darlin'. So where do we go from here?"

I returned his smile and said, "I guess we go Forward."

He nodded and continued to stare at me and then repeated, "Forward. I like that. Is it too soon though? It should be, but I don't feel like it is. If you think it's too soon, I'll wait for you."

I thought about what he was saying. Was it too soon? Were we each ready to jump into another relationship? I looked into his blue eyes and I made my decision. "It might be too soon; but Jasper, you already have my heart."

His face lit up with a breathtaking smile as he said, "I promise I'll take good care of it darlin'. What do you say I help you bring in that tray before I have to go home?"

I couldn't help but laugh a bit as the tension was broken. I replied making my southern drawl extra thick, "My, aren't you chivalrous. I definitely need a big strong man to help me carry that heavy tray." He stood up and then held out a hand to help me. I was reminded of when he did the same thing earlier that afternoon. Had it really only been a few hours since I had met him? So much had been said in such a short time. Would the rest of our relationship be just as fast? I bit my lip, worrying, as I placed my hand in his to stand up. When he pulled me close to him I once again was able to breathe in the unique smell that was Jasper; and surprisingly, I wasn't worried anymore about what the future would hold.

As we were in the kitchen putting everything away, I heard Emmett thunder down the stairs and Alice squeal, "Emmett, put me down. Come on, we have to be quiet. I don't want to disturb Bella and Jasper. Oh I hope they told each other everything. I hate that they've both had so much pain; but they'll be so good together."

Jasper and I glanced at each other and quietly listened to Alice and Emmett's conversation.

"Do you really think the blond mystery god and the hot mystery goddess are gonna get together? I mean we all know they'll be great together, but do you think they'll see it?" Emmett asked Alice.

I blushed and buried my face against Jasper's chest, trying to hide my embarrassment about the nickname. Jasper wrapped his arms around me and was shaking with silent laughter.

"Of course they will. Rose said Jasper's fallen for Bella already and I know Bella feels the same way. I have a feeling that neither of them will be single after tonight," Alice replied.

I looked up at Jasper and we exchanged smug smiles. Alice was right once again.

"You and your _feelings_, Alice. I'll bet you that it'll take them the rest of the week at least," Emmett said. Once I heard the word bet, I could just imagine that Alice was thinking of what she could get him to do when she won.

There was silence for a few seconds before I heard Alice laugh. "I know it'll be before the night is over, so I'll take that bet. If I win, you have to wear a tutu to football practice tomorrow and if the coach tells you to take it off you have to reply, "Sorry Coach, it's tutu hard to take it off," Alice said. I could picture the gleam in her eye as she was talking. I could barely contain my laughter as I imagined how Emmett would look tomorrow.

"Fine and if I win, you have to wear my Harry Potter t-shirt to school that says, "Want to see my magic wand?" And no cheating; neither of us can force them together nor let them know about the bet," Emmett replied.

"Deal. I'll see you tomorrow at school. I love you Emmett," Alice said as their voices got closer to the front door.

When we couldn't hear them clearly anymore, I smirked at Jasper and whispered, "I'd love to see Alice wear that shirt, but there's no way I can keep bein' with you a secret that long. Besides, Emmett's gonna look hysterical in a tutu."

Jasper laughed quietly and said, "I have to agree with you there." Jasper kissed the top of my head and we both turned around as we heard a tiny squeal from the kitchen doorway.

Alice was bouncing and quietly clapping her hands. "Soooo, anything you want to tell me?" Alice asked with excitement.

"We overheard your bet with Emmett, and you win Alice. We're together. So make sure you bring that tutu to school tomorrow," I said with a smirk.

"I knew it! Emmett should know by now that I always win. But seriously, I'm happy for you two. Jasper, you're one of my best friends; don't hurt my sister. Bella, don't hurt my friend. You two will do just fine together," Alice said as she ran over to us to hug us both.

"Don't worry Alice, I could never hurt Bella; and I know she won't hurt me. About the bet, Edward and I'll make sure to record him at practice so everyone can hear him say that to Coach. We should keep the relationship a secret from him until he figures it out tomorrow. Makin' as many tutu jokes as possible of course," said Jasper.

"Oooo, good idea. This is going to be great! I'm so glad I bought that extra-large tutu after Halloween last year. I'll leave you two alone now so you can say goodnight. Bye Jasper, I'll see you tomorrow! Hurry upstairs Bella!" Alice sang as she pranced out of the kitchen.

"Night Alice," Jasper yelled after her. Turning to me he said, "I should get goin' and I'm pretty sure she is gonna ambush you as soon you go up there."

"No kiddin'. Let me walk you to the door," I said as I hooked my arm through his.

We stood in the doorway and he said, "Thank you for tonight; for dinner, for acceptin' me and for trustin' me. I'm leavin' my heart with you. Good night Bella," Jasper said as he bent down to kiss my cheek before he turned and walked out the door.

"Good night Jasper," I called after him. I watched as he got in his truck and waved until he was out of sight. Sighing, I shut the door and slowly walked upstairs to talk to Alice.

I entered our room and looked around, I noticed that thankfully everything of mine was exactly as I had left it and my bed was untouched.

"Oh relax, we stayed away from your stuff. Get ready for bed and then you're going to tell me everything!" Alice said as she finished putting her pajamas on and brushing her hair.

I went to the bathroom and went through my nightly ritual before returning to our room. As soon as I had walked into the room, Alice said, "Okay, I can't wait any longer. Start at the beginning and don't leave anything out."

I glanced at her as I grabbed my pajamas from my drawer so I could change. Alice had moved her pillow to the foot of her bed and had wrapped her arms around it. She was lying on her stomach with her knees bent and ankles crossed in the air behind her. I started to tell, in detail, how I had been seeing Jasper around the past couple of days and all the interruptions we had before finally meeting.

I climbed onto my bed assuming the same position she was in so we could face each other. Our beds were on opposite walls and staggered a bit, mine being farther from the door and closer to the two closets. "He saw and heard me play Tim at lunch today. I didn't know anyone was watchin' or listenin'. I sang 'A Little Bit Stronger,' and I really felt it. When I opened my eyes, he was starin' at me in awe from across the parkin' lot. I thought I was finally gonna meet him before Emmett got in the way. Why does he feel the need to be carryin' people around anyway?" I asked.

Alice laughed and said, "I think he likes to prove that he can. He's strong and wants everyone to know it. Get used to it; he's not going to stop anytime soon. Enough about Emmett, keep telling the story."

I rolled my eyes and told her about our meeting after history and then our walk to gym. When I mentioned baseball she felt the need to add her two cents, "You're not going to play here are you? I know you're good, but I just don't think it would be a good idea to play here. The girls will be vicious and some of the guys will be too. It's a small town and people are so small town minded and old-fashioned. I don't want to see you get hurt again," Alice finished quietly.

I gave her a small smile and said, "I don't think I'm gonna play Alice. I never really told you how much crap I got last year for bein' on the team. At the time I didn't want you to say 'I told you so,' but it was hard. It wasn't as much my team, but rather the opponents. Sure I'm tough and can handle the insults, but I know some of the guys on the team were embarrassed to have a girl playin'. Besides, I think I might like cheerin' for Jasper." Alice smiled at me and I continued to tell her about our evening on the front porch.

Alice had tears streaming down her face by the end and had moved from her bed to mine so she could hug me. In a rare serious moment she said, "Bella, you and Jasper may have been broken, but you'll be able to put each other's pieces back together. I'm not sure you would have been right for each other before Charlotte and James. While they were both horrible and I wish nothing would have happened to either of you, they did help mold you both into who you are today. I think both of your experiences are going to help you form a really special bond and I for one am happy that I will get to witness it. I love you little sister."

I nudged her a bit for the little sister comment and then said, "I love you too, Alice. Now let's get some sleep. We need to be well rested because tomorrow is gonna be tutu fun!" I gave Alice one more hug before we both went to sleep.

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><p>AN: 'Broken' is by Chely Wright. I haven't found a great video for it, but the lyrics are perfect.

Okay everyone, the serious drama type stuff is done for now. I'm not saying it's done for the story, but we will have some humor again next chapter.

It's time for a review quiz. Choose the letter that best applies to your opinion, click review and share with me!

A) This chapter was great. I feel bad for Bella and hate James.

B) Could have been better; maybe the next chapter will be.

C) Horrible chapter; why did I read this far into the story?

D) (Feel free to share your own comments)

Thank you everyone!

Next chapter : Emmett in a tutu!


	9. Man!  I Feel Like a Woman

A/N: I want to again thank everyone who reviewed, favorited or put the story on alert. To: crazy4jacksonrathbone, BreithePixieCupcake, deerslayer1100, Astrid's Fire, feelingcowgirlish, ellaryne, wendy1969, kateandjasper, SkylerBlack, AlwaysJASPERsLOVE, TwilightAddict71484, NatalieLynn and Cupiid, thank you all so much for your reviews. I try to reply to every review as I really do appreciate each one!

Happy New Year to everyone (a couple days early)! This will be my last chapter of the year so I hope you enjoy it!

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><p><em>Chapter Nine ~ Man! I Feel Like a Woman<em>

_(JPOV)_

When I had gotten home from Bella's house, I went to our exercise room to try to work off some anger I had with James. A couple of years ago, my mom had been really into cardio boxing and bought all the best equipment. I took my frustration and anger out on the punching bags. I imagined each hit landing directly on James, with a couple thrown in for Peter too. Charlotte deserved some too; but I refuse to hit a woman, even a hypothetical one. I was so angry with what James had done to Bella. If I ever see him, I am going to make him pay. I'll probably never get that opportunity, but I can't help imagining all the different ways that I could hurt him.

After a half hour of punching, I took a shower to cool off and then stared at my ceiling from my bed. It took me awhile to get to sleep. My mind was still racing with everything I had learned from our discussion. Bella and I were both broken, but I definitely knew she was the one I needed in my life. I thought about the way she had opened her heart to me and how I had shared everything with her. It felt natural to be with her, like breathing. I pictured her beautiful face as I finally closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.

I knew I needed to avoid close contact with Bella until Emmett figured out that he had lost the bet with Alice. I had gotten a text from Alice before school, letting me know that she had called Rose and that she and Edward were now in on the teasing.

As I walked into school, I saw Bella by her locker as I approached mine. She gave me a breathtaking smile, which I returned. She looked great from down the hall. Her hair was flowing down her back and I watched as she tucked a piece behind her ear. She was wearing a dark blue short sleeved shirt that was cut low enough that even I could see her cleavage from where I was and a short jean skirt. She pulled down on the skirt a bit and gave Alice a dirty look. I was guessing that Alice had made her wear the skirt. She had on her brown cowgirl boots again, but the length of leg showing between the top of her boots and the bottom of her skirt was enough to make me want a cold shower and adjust my pants a bit. I knew I was probably leering, but I couldn't help it. She was so hot and she was mine.

I shook my head, trying to clear it a bit. I was about to open my locker when Mr. Turner, the Chemistry teacher called to me.

"Ah, Jasper Whitlock, just the man I was looking for. I had a spot open up in the Advanced Placement Chemistry class and it is yours if you are still interested," Mr. Turner said to me.

I didn't hesitate in answering him, "Thank you sir; I would like that very much. Did I miss anythin' yesterday?" I was a bit worried that I would already be behind. That was one more thing that I hated Char for. She had distracted me around the time that I needed to register for the AP Chemistry class and I was only able to get on the waiting list. I now know she did it on purpose to try to ruin me further. Unfortunately she did get into the class so now I would have a class with her, but I knew Edward would be there too so I wouldn't face her alone.

Mr. Turner chuckled lightly and said, "No, you didn't miss anything. We just went over the syllabus and then I gave everyone a pass for the day. Just a warning though, wherever you sit today, will become your assigned seat for the year and whoever is next to you will be your partner, so pick wisely. I got a new schedule from Mrs. Cope for you, figuring you would accept the place. It looks like only your first two classes changed. See you second hour, Jasper." He handed me the schedule and walked back to his classroom. I looked over my new schedule and then opened my locker. I took out my book and headed in the direction of my new first class.

I looked around as I walked, trying to find Bella again, but she wasn't anywhere. Oh well, I would see my girl soon. I smiled as I thought about her.

I walked into the classroom and showed my new schedule to Mr. Berty and he pointed toward a desk in the back that was open. I looked at where he had pointed and smirked. I noticed the open desk was right behind a beautiful, yet very distracted brunette. I quickly walked to the desk and sat down without her seeing me. As she sat back in her chair after showing Emmett something on her phone, I leaned forward and whispered, "Are you tryin' to drive me crazy wearin' an outfit like that? I'm gonna get suspended for beatin' up all the guys I catch lookin' at you today."

Bella gasped and turned around in her chair to stare at me. Her eyes opened wide in shock before she smiled and said, "Jasper, what are you doin' here? You weren't sittin' there yesterday, I would've noticed."

Emmett heard Bella's exclamation and turned around also. He looked between me and Bella; I'm sure trying to gauge our relationship status and smirked. "Hey Jasper, man, what _are_ you doing here?"

"I was on the waitin' list for AP Chemistry and someone dropped the class, so now I'm in it. My first two classes got switched."

"That's cool man, welcome to our English class," Emmett said.

"Thanks, I'm glad I get a class with you tutu now," I said with a subtle wink to Bella. She covered her mouth and turned her head to the side so Emmett didn't see her laughing.

Emmett blinked and shook his head, but didn't say anything.

Bella composed herself quickly and turned back to me and said, "You will be joinin' Edward, Rose and me next hour in AP Chemistry. You didn't miss anythin' yesterday and today we're pickin' lab partners. You can be mine so Edward and Rose can be together if you'd like."

I smirked and nodded at her. I wanted to tell her that nothing would make me happier than to be her partner, but I didn't want Emmett to catch on yet, so I replied, "Sure, sounds good. I'm sure Rose and Edward would appreciate that."

Bella's phone vibrated and she looked at it, rolling her eyes. Emmett looked over at her and said, "Another picture?"

I was curious as to what they were talking about so I asked, "What are you gettin' pictures of?"

Bella sighed and said, "Daddy told us this mornin' that we could get a puppy for our birthday, so Ali has started sendin' me pictures of puppies that she thinks are cute. This is the fourth one in the last five minutes. Ohh look, Emmett, this one looks like tutu."

She had given me a sly look as Emmett shook his head and said, "What does it look like?"

Bella gave him a confused look and replied slowly, "Like Toto. You know, from '_The Wizard of Oz',_ the little dog." She turned the phone toward him to show him the picture of a Cairn Terrier.

It was my turn to disguise my laughter as Emmett crinkled his nose. Bella certainly was good at this game. I was impressed with her acting skills. Emmett looked at the picture and said, "I don't like that one either. You need something bigger. I know Alice will make me walk it and I don't want to walk something that small. Something like that would make me take a hit to my masculinity."

Bella laughed and I was entranced by the sound. She then said, "I'll try to convince her to get somethin' bigger. It will be livin' with Daddy when we go to college so I want to get a dog he can take huntin' anyway."

Emmett looked relieved. Mr. Berty called the class to order and began his discussion of William Shakespeare. We all took notes and when I was sure Emmett wasn't looking, I touched Bella's hair or shoulder; not much, just enough to let her know I was there and sitting behind her. She relaxed whenever my hand made contact with her; whenever I pulled it away, she seemed to tense up a bit. I noticed throughout the class that many of the other guys were either sneaking lecherous looks at Bella or outright staring at her. I knew what was going on in their minds and I didn't like it one bit; I was downright jealous. I wasn't sure how long I would be able to stand it without making it known that she was mine and that they needed to back off her. I would have made it clear right away, but I really did want to mess with Emmett a bit.

Once class was over, we all packed our bags and left the room, Emmett leading the way. I placed my hand on Bella's lower back as I walked next to her and again she seemed to relax. I leaned toward her and whispered, "Are you alright darlin'?"

Bella looked up at me and gave me a tight lipped smile. She looked a bit nervous as she whispered back, "I'm fine; it's just that some of the girls keep starin' at you and it's makin' me jealous."

I laughed quietly as we stopped at Bella's locker first. Emmett was already wrapped around Alice, and Edward and Rose joined us after a minute as we walked toward Emmett's locker. I saw Bella mouth the number two to Alice and Alice responded with a smirk and an evil glint in her eye. I assumed it was regarding the number of jokes made already at Emmett's expense.

I saw Rose whisper in Edward's ear and he looked around before his eyes widened and he nodded back at her. Edward leaned against the locker next to Emmett's and pulled Rose against him as Emmett got his books. As he finished, Edward nudged him and said just loud enough for all of us to hear, "Hey Emmett did you see the tutu Lauren must have gotten this summer? She isn't eighteen yet; I wonder how she got one."

Emmett slammed his locker and spun around, his eyes wide as he said, "What did you say?" Emmett looked at all of us and focused on Bella and me. We were standing on opposite ends of the group and he seemed to relax when he saw that.

All of us gave him very convincing confused looks as Edward said, "I asked if you had seen the tattoo Lauren got; she's right over there. It gives a whole new meaning to the nickname 'tramp stamp.'" Emmett seemed to relax after he heard the word tattoo. He was probably imagining that he was hearing things.

We all looked over at Lauren who was bent over trying to get something from the bottom of her locker. Her shirt had risen up and her pants had lowered down showing off her new tattoo and over half of her barely there thong. Seeing her ass sticking up in the air reminded me of the first time I had seen Bella and there was no comparison. I was rather disgusted by Lauren and turned away.

Alice dragged Emmett away toward his class. He would get a break second hour as none of us were in his computer programming class. Alice had some art class and the rest of us were headed to AP Chemistry after a stop at my locker. When we walked into the classroom, I was immediately cornered by Charlotte. Bella had been ahead of me and didn't notice right away as I got detached from the group. I saw as soon as Edward, Rose and Bella chose a lab table that she was being surrounded by some of the guys from the class. The lab was set up so that two sets of partners shared one lab table, with each side of the table having its own set of equipment.

Charlotte started to rub her hands up and down my arms and chest as she leaned close to me. I tried to push her off me as I said, "What the fuck do you want Charlotte? Stop touchin' me and leave me alone."

She batted her eyelashes and gave me the look she used to use, the one that would make me drop what I was doing to give her what she wanted. It wasn't going to work this time; now I was just pissed off and wanted to get away from her. She leaned close to me and said, "Aww, come on Jasper. I know you miss me. What if I told you I was sorry for messing with you? We could try to get back what we had; come on Jasper, be my lab partner. You know we were good together." Her hand reached down and she started to rub on me. I was happy to find that I had no reaction to her touch other than anger.

I glared at her as I pried her hand off my pants and said, "I don't miss you. I never missed the real you. I missed the Charlotte I thought you were, but now there's no way in hell I want anythin' to do with either of you. You're not sorry at all; you just know you need me for a lab partner if you wanna pass this class. I'm not gonna be playin' your games Charlotte. You and your boyfriend can go to hell. Leave me the fuck alone." I pushed past her and made my way to the table our group had claimed. I got there just in time to witness Bella telling off Peter.

He had pulled the last stool at the table as close as possible to Bella and was sitting on it as he leaned toward her and started to rub his hand up her thigh. I was about to punch him when I saw Bella shove his hand off her thigh and grab him between his legs with her other hand. I saw the fire in her eyes as she began to squeeze tightly. Peter's eyes popped open and his jaw dropped as he started to squeak in pain. I heard Bella speak firmly, "Don't be touchin' me again, if you want _this_," she paused to squeeze her hand tighter and twist a bit as tears formed in Peter's eyes and he started to whimper, "to continue workin'. Now as I was sayin' before your wanderin' hands got in the way, that seat is taken. Go back to your bitch and tell her to leave us alone." She gave one last hard squeeze before she let go and pushed him away from the table. Peter grabbed onto the next table and held onto it as he slowly made his way to Charlotte.

My jaw had dropped as I watched how Bella handled Peter. I closed my mouth and then cleared my throat as I walked to the empty seat. Bella looked up at me as I said, "Excuse me miss, is this seat taken?" I added a wink at the end.

Bella pretended to think about my question before she responded quietly, "Well, I was savin' it for the hottest guy in school, who just happens to be my new boyfriend; but seein' as Mike Newton isn't in this class, I suppose you can sit there." She was biting on her lip the whole time to keep from laughing and by the end of her response a small laugh escaped. She continued to laugh as she said, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't say that with a straight face. Please sit down Jasper before another guy tries askin' me to be his partner."

I couldn't help but tease her back as I stood next to the empty stool, "Oh, I don't know if I should help you now darlin'. I probably shouldn't have asked you for the seat so soon. See there are still about three guys who haven't asked you yet and I would hate for them to miss their opportunity. Though all three look a little green and are shieldin' their packages. But I guess you did say please, so I'll take my chances next to those hands of yours." I kissed the top of her head as I moved the stool a bit farther from her since Mr. Turner had just walked into the room. I sat down and noticed Rose was smiling at Bella's and my interaction. Edward looked a little pale as he said, "Remind me never to piss you off."

Bella laughed and said, "Don't worry Edward, I could never do that to Aunt Esme. I know she wants grandchildren someday. Probably not any time soon though." She added a wink at the end. Edward blushed a bit and ran his hand through his hair.

Rose laughed and gave him a quick kiss before turning to Bella and said, "I'm impressed at how you _handled_ him."

Bella laughed and replied, "Thanks Rose; Momma and I took a self-defense course a few years ago and I've always wanted to try that move and Peter was the perfect practice dummy."

Mr. Turner began class and everyone found a seat and a partner. He passed a sign-in sheet around and explained the introductory experiment. After class we all left the room and met up with Alice and Emmett again. I had Statistics with Edward and Emmett next, while Rose and Bella had Calculus and Alice had English. I wondered how much longer it would be before Emmett figured out about Bella and me.

Another opportunity to tease Emmett presented itself almost right away. The teacher, Mrs. Kinney passed out the instructions to a card game that we would be playing in order to determine different probabilities of getting certain cards. She asked us to get out pencils and get in groups of three. The three of us turned our desks together and I turned to Emmett and asked, "Hey Em, I only have pens with me, do you have a number tutu pencil I can borrow?"

He shook his head and then tipped it to the side as he asked, "What kind of pencil did you say?"

I rolled my eyes at him and said, "A number two pencil, you know, a yellow one with a pink eraser at the end and a big black number two on the side. Why what do you think I said?"

He shook his head and replied, "I thought you said, never mind. Yeah I have another pencil for you." He handed over a pencil and we all drew the cards according to the instructions.

After drawing different cards, Edward asked, "Emmett do you have any twos?"

He looked at his cards and said, "I have a couple." He threw the cards onto Edward's desk and Edward said as he wrote, "So Emmett has tutus. How about you Jasper? Do you have any twos?"

I dropped my pencil on the ground so I could laugh without Emmett seeing me. Edward was barely keeping a straight face. I quickly composed myself and said, "I only have one. I guess Emmett's tutus beat mine."

We both lost our composure when Emmett exclaimed, "Yes! My two twos are the best. I win!" He thought we were laughing at the fact that he had gotten excited over winning, but we were really laughing at the fact that Emmett had unwittingly made a joke at his own expense.

After Statistics I went to French where I met Alice. I explained to her the game in Statistics and the tutu jokes we had told. She laughed and told me about how she had gotten him on the way back from her art class. "So I said to him, 'Mrs. Fisher was acting weird today, I thought she was going tutu.' Emmett shook his head and said, 'You thought she was going what?' And I replied, "Cuckoo, like the clock, you know, crazy.' Oh and then Rose came along and said "I overheard the guys from the reservation talking about how someone made of mockery of a tribal dance and that it would bring really bad tutu to them.' Emmett shook his head again and said, 'Really bad what?' And she replied, 'Really bad juju, like karma. Come on, Emmett open your ears.' It took everything in me not to tell him right then."

"I've noticed that he's been shakin' his head after almost every tutu joke. He must think he's goin' crazy or somethin'. He's probably gettin' paranoid. As much fun as this is, I think we need to tell him soon. All the guys are drivin' me crazy with hittin' on Bella and I want to put an end to it; stake my claim so to speak. I have a feelin' that the skirt she's wearin' was your doin', am I right?" I asked as I opened my French book.

Alice smirked and said, "Of course that was my doing. It took me ten minutes to convince her to wear it. The shirt however was all her. I wanted to see how long you would be able to keep the secret. I have one more tutu joke planned and then I want you and Bella to do something that will let him know he lost. She looks really hot today doesn't she?"

I narrowed my eyes at her and replied, "You're kiddin' right? Yeah she's hot and I'm havin' a real hard time not punchin' every guy who's been lookin' at her because I know what they're thinkin'. Will your last joke be durin' lunch?"

Alice nodded and said, "Yeah, just make sure you don't come right out and say you're dating, let him put it all together on his own."

I sighed and thanked her before the teacher started the lesson. Alice and I met up with everyone after class and we all went to lunch together.

As we all sat at a table, everyone ate their lunches. Emmett was very focused on the food in front of him and using that to her advantage, Alice started to ramble, "This morning has just been tutu long. I love all of my classes, but I hate that I only have tutu of them with you Emmett. I have only gotten homework in tutu of my classes so far so it shouldn't take me tutu long tonight to get it all done. I have a feeling that our practice tonight is going to run two to tutu and a half hours. It's tutu bad that it's raining today. I left a bag in our truck and am going tutu go get it. Emmett, do you want to come tutu?"

Emmett put down his fork and his forehead creased as he looked at Alice in confusion. "Did you stutter?" he asked trying to process what she had said.

I leaned close to Bella and touched her cheek lightly with the back of my index finger so she would turn toward me. My hand fell lightly on her shoulder. She looked at me, her eyes full of laughter. Her eyes softened and the look she gave me became more intense. I moved closer and watched as she ran her tongue around her lips before she bit on her lower lip. I moved my hand from her shoulder and gently pulled her lip from her teeth. My hand rested on her cheek as I looked back into her eyes and raised an eyebrow, silently asking if I could kiss her. I heard her breath catch and she nodded slightly. I slid my hand to the nape of her neck, while the other moved to her waist. Her hands rose to my shoulders and I brought our lips together.

My eyes closed as our lips met. Her lips were full and soft and they formed perfectly to mine. I sucked her lower lip in between mine and as we both took a quick breath, our mouths opened slightly. I lightly licked her lower lip and she quietly sighed. Bella's right hand slid up my neck and tangled in the hair on the back of my head. She tilted her head a bit and her tongue met mine. The kiss was soft, yet sensual. Sitting at a table in the crowded cafeteria was not my idea of a perfect location for our first kiss, but really, anywhere I got to kiss Bella was the perfect place.

We finally broke apart when we heard Emmett exclaim, "Way to go Jasper! You got the girl. I knew you could do it!" He paused and then his eyes grew wide and he said, "Oh fuck! Shit! No, no, no, I can't believe I lost. Damn, you fuckers were all in on this. You all knew and have been making stupid tutu jokes all morning. I knew I wasn't hearing things. Ali, baby, come on, I don't wanna wear a tutu to practice." Emmett whined and tried to give Alice puppy dog eyes as she shook her head no. We all burst out laughing at Emmett's reaction. I put my arm around Bella and pulled her closer to me and she wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my chest. I kissed the top of her head. I felt content and was happy to be able to show everyone that Bella was mine.

Bella and I walked to US History and took seats next to one another. We ignored everyone else and the class passed quickly. Gym class was the same. It was raining so we played dodge ball in the gym. Bella received death glares from Lauren and Jessica; but Rose, Edward and I kept close to her and gym class also passed quickly. As Edward and I changed for football practice, Emmett came into the locker room carrying a plastic bag and scowling. He got ready and then looked around before grabbing the bag and walking out of the locker room. Edward and I followed him and met up with the girls inside the gym.

Alice stormed over to Emmett and placed her hands on her hips as she stared up at him with a look that had him cowering. "Emmett David McCarty, you will put that tutu on right now. You would have made me wear that shirt of yours, so you will wear the tutu."

"Come on Alice, I can't really wear this to practice. Coach'll make me run extra laps and it's already going to be a long practice. Please, can we just forget about this? Besides you have all been teasing me the whole day, isn't that enough?" Emmett whined.

"Absolutely not. A bet is a bet Emmett and someday you are going to learn that you don't bet against me. I always win. Now put it on and then get out there and join the rest of the team. Or are you tutu scared?" Alice teased.

"This fucking sucks. After this I am never wearing a tutu again," Emmett continued to whine as he put the pink fluffy tutu on over his pants.

"Aww but Emmy, I thought we could be fairies for Halloween," Alice said while batting her eyelashes.

"Oh hell no. There is no way that I'm going to be a fairy," Emmett exclaimed loudly.

"Hmm, if you keep dressing like that, you might become one. I certainly wouldn't mind. Rawr!" Jacob growled. He pinched Emmett's butt and winked as he walked past us into the gym toward his practice.

I grabbed onto Edward's shoulder to keep from falling down from laughing so hard. Emmett looked mortified and started to shake his head really hard as he said, "I'll wear the tutu today, but no fairies for Halloween. Please Ali?"

Alice laughed and replied, "I knew you would see it my way. I wasn't really going to make you dress like a fairy for Halloween. Peter Pan maybe, but not a fairy."

"Awwww, no tights either. Damn I can't win, can I? Man! I feel like a woman. This totally sucks." Emmett groaned as he fidgeted in the tutu.

"You know Em, there is a second part to that bet with you tellin' Coach that it's tutu hard to take it off when he asks you to. Even if you feel like a woman, I'm thinkin' you're not really _man_ enough to finish the bet and be a good sport about it. I'm even willin' to offer you a little incentive to complete the bet," Bella winked at me to let me know she was baiting him a bit.

Emmett stopped fidgeting and his eyes lit up a bit, "What kind of incentive?"

Bella smiled sweetly and replied, "If you play your part well, I will bake you your very own tray of double chocolate fudge brownies. But I'll be needin' tutu see proof tomorrow that you did your part. Jasper will be recordin' it and if you do well, I will bring brownies on Friday."

Emmett looked down at the pink tutu and grimaced before saying, "It's a deal Bells."

I kissed Bella lightly before I said, "Alright, let's get goin'. I don't think Emmett can handle tutu much more of this teasin'."

Everyone laughed as Emmett hung his head and started to wander toward the football field. It was going to be a long practice, but I had a feeling it would be fun for most of us. I saw Coach with his back to us and I got my phone ready to record Emmett.

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><p>AN: "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" is by Shania Twain. I really need to think of chapter titles before writing the chapter…it is much harder to fit in a quote when the chapter is already written. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter—it was tutu much fun to write. I had hoped to get it up before Christmas, but it just didn't work that way.

I would love to break 100 reviews with this chapter, please help me and let me know what you thought of this chapter. All you have tutu to do is click review and type a letter or tutu!

A) This chapter was tutu much fun to read!

B) This chapter was a little tutu much and I'm glad it ended when it did.

C) This chapter was tutu hard to read and I'm done with this story.

D) (Feel free tutu add your own comments)

My husband and I are celebrating our 6th Wedding Anniversary tomorrow and have decided not to exchange gifts, so your reviews will likely be the only presents I get—please make them good!

Next chapter: A pep rally and a football game! See you next year!


	10. When You Kiss Me

A/N: Sorry if you get a notice twice regarding this chapter. There was a FF problem and this chapter didn't want to show up continuously. For some people it was showing only 9 and not 10 chapters so I am trying again.

The response last chapter was great! I would love to list everyone each chapter, but you all probably don't want to read that anymore. I have the best faithful reviewers and I love everything you say to me! I reply to every review and each time I read a new one, it makes me want to write more of the story. I get excited when someone reviews for the first time or the tenth! So thank you, thank you, thank you!

So I know I promised a Pep Rally and a football game, but the football game is going to have to wait…there were just too many other things that needed to happen in this chapter to include the game too.

Oh and I should mention that I know practically nothing about cheerleading. I played volleyball and tennis in high school, so please just play along if there are mistakes.

I should probably put another disclaimer in…can you believe there are 10 chapters already?

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p><em>Chapter 10 ~ "When You Kiss Me"<em>

_(BPOV)_

The hall was relatively empty as I picked up my folder for English early Thursday morning and all the papers inside fell onto the floor. Sighing, I closed my locker and then bent down to gather the papers. I heard a low groan from behind me as I put the folder in my backpack.

"Darlin', you've gotta stop stickin' your ass up in the air like that. You have no idea how much you're turnin' me on right now," the sexist voice said quietly to me.

I stood up, and turned around to face Jasper and raised one eyebrow at him as I leaned on my locker.

I gave him a playful smile as I replied, "I have no idea what you're talkin' 'bout. I was just pickin' up my papers."

Jasper took a step toward me, bringing him about two inches in front of me. His eyes were hooded as he looked down into mine. He placed his hands on my hips and my arms found their way around his neck. Bending his knees a bit, he pulled me forward and pressed me against the very prominent bulge in his jeans. My breath caught in my throat as he leaned down even more to whisper, "I think you know _exactly_ what I'm talkin' about. Bella, you are so unbelievably gorgeous and I'm havin' a real hard time keepin' my hands to myself; especially when you keep dressin' like this." He used one hand to gesture at my black leggings and purple tank top that I had chosen to wear today without any fight from Alice.

"You're lookin' real good yourself cowboy; and I don't mind havin' your hands on me," I replied as I looked Jasper up and down. He was wearing a brown fitted t-shirt and jeans with his brown cowboy boots. I moved my hands up his neck and my fingers tangled in the hair at the back of his head as I brought my lips up to meet his for a soft kiss.

His lips moved to my forehead for another kiss and then he took a step backwards, before bending to pick up my backpack for me. "So, since we are both a little early, do you, Alice and Rose want to see the video of Emmett at practice yesterday?"

I could feel my eyes light up as I nodded and said, "Of course I do. I think everyone's by Emmett's locker. It's where I was headed before I went droppin' everythin'."

We met up with our group and Jasper took out his phone. He found the video and handed it to me, and Alice and Rose stood at my sides. Emmett was pouting. "Aww, Em, don't get your feathers ruffled. It's all in good fun," I said with a wink at him. Jasper and Edward just laughed.

"Come on, push play already. I have to see this!" Alice exclaimed as she bounced next to me.

I pushed play and Emmett came into focus on the screen.

"_This is so stupid, I can't believe I lost the bet," Emmett complained as the rest of the team began to notice him wearing the tutu. The guys were laughing and pointing as Emmett made his way toward the field. _

_Tyler nudged Mike and then said loudly, "You know we don't swing that way Emmett. If you're looking for a date you might want to try the cheerleading practice; that's where Jake and Embry are."_

_To his credit, Emmett didn't complain. Instead he said, "Aww, Tyler, you're just jealous that you don't get any attention from Jake and Embry. They like real men who are comfortable enough in their masculinity to wear pink."_

"_I don't want anything to do with those two. Wear your pretty little pink dress and keep them far away from me," Tyler said with a shudder._

_Emmett lifted a few of the ruffles with one hand and pointed at Tyler with the other and said, "First of all, it's a tutu, not a dress. You should learn what girl's clothes are if you ever want to find out what's under them. Second, why are you worried about Jake and Embry? Think they're going to try and convert you? I don't think you'd be their type anyway; they seem to like good looking guys."_

_Before Tyler had a chance to respond, a whistle blew and Coach yelled, "Today's practice is going to be a long one. On my whistle run four laps and then I want first string to take the field. McCarty, what the hell are you wearing? Get your frilly ass over here."_

_The camera shook and the sounds of Edward and Jasper laughing were heard as Emmett hesitated. Edward leaned toward him and whispered, "You know Alice will plan something worse for you if you don't finish the bet."_

_Emmett took a deep breath and ran forward. Coach gave Emmett a stern look and said, "McCarty, take off that tutu right now."_

_A sophomore on the team said loudly, "Hey Tyler, Coach knows what Emmett's wearing. I'll bet he's seen what's under a girl's clothes before!"_

_The guys who heard snickered a bit and waited for Emmett's response. "Sorry Coach, it's tutu hard to take it off," Emmett said with a slight grimace._

_The whole team laughed and even Coach wasn't able to keep a straight face. "Fine McCarty, if you want to be pretty today, go for it. But don't come crying to me if someone rips your girly clothes. Oh and at the end of practice I want you to run an extra tutu laps so you can keep your girlish figure."_

_Emmett shook his head and asked, "How many laps?"_

_Coach smirked and said, "Get the frills out of your ears. I said two laps. Now everybody start running." The whistle blew and the video ended._

Rose, Alice and I were laughing as I handed Jasper his phone. Emmett was pouting a bit, so Alice ran the three steps toward him and jumped onto him. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist as she kissed him. She pulled back and said, "Good job baby. I'll make sure Bella makes those brownies for you." His face lit up with a smile and he kissed Alice again.

The rest of the day passed quickly, with quite a few jokes at Emmett's expense. No one commented on the fact that Jasper and I were together. I was starting to wonder if anyone knew. I even had a few more guys ask me to go with them to Saturday's party. Since I didn't know who they were, I politely turned them down by saying I already had a date. I got a few extra glares from the girls, but nothing that made me think anyone knew. Lauren and Jessica were normal and tried to make my life miserable. I chose to ignore them.

After school, Jasper and I stood in the hall by the gym and he brushed his hand down my cheek and kissed my forehead.

"We have a short practice tonight, you know, restin' up for the game and all. Do you wanna get together later?" he asked me.

I bit my lip and then frowned as I replied, "I'd love to, but our practice is gonna be long today. We have a few sophomores on the squad who just aren't gettin' the routines. We'll be practicin' 'til it's perfect. After that, Daddy wants to take Ali and me to the diner for dinner. He says he has some excitin' news for us. I'm pretty sure he'll just be tellin' us that he finally proposed to Maria. They've been together for eight years and he showed us the ring a few days ago. Then on top of all that, he took her to dinner last night and spent the night at her place in Port Angeles. After dinner I have brownies to make for Emmett and a bunch of homework and Ali is makin' me get up early tomorrow, so I'm gonna go to bed as early as I can. I'm sorry."

Jasper gave me a crooked half-smile as he replied, "Don't apologize. I'll go over to Aunt Caroline's for dinner and then I should probably get my own homework done. You and I are definitely spendin' a lot of time together this weekend though.

"I'm lookin' forward to it. We should go to practice now," I said with a sigh. I pressed my lips to his briefly. As I tried to take a step back, I felt Jasper shake his head and pull me closer to him. He deepened the kiss and I wasn't about to fight him. Soon, air became necessary and he pulled away. "Goodbye darlin'; I'll see you tomorrow," he said with one last soft kiss. He turned and walked outside as I leaned against the wall to catch my breath before heading to practice.

* * *

><p>I woke up the next morning to Alice shaking me and saying, "Get up sleepy head. You need to take a shower and dry your hair so I curl it just right."<p>

I looked around the room once I had fully awoken. Alice was standing in front of my clock, and it was still dark in the room. I cleared my throat and said, "Ugg Alice, what time is it? You're getting' me up before the roosters."

Alice put her hands on her hips and said, "It's five and I'm already done in the shower. I let you sleep an extra twenty minutes, now get moving. I'm going to do my hair while you get ready and then I'll do yours. Your uniform is laid out on my bed. It's supposed to be a nice day so we're wearing the shell without the bodysuit."

I smiled and thought of Jasper's reaction to the new uniforms. They really were the best uniforms I had ever seen.

I quickly showered and shaved before returning to our room to dry my hair. I put on my uniform and sat in front of the dresser mirror to put on some makeup while Alice started to curl my hair. Once it was curled to her liking, she gathered it into a ponytail and tied the blue and gold ribbon around it. Alice and I put on our new white tennis shoes and then stood side by side in front of the full length mirror on the back of Alice's closet door.

As we took in our appearances, our faces lit up at the same time with identical smiles. The navy blue tops were cut straight across our chests and had a large blue and gold V from our shoulders to the middle of our chests in the front and an X in the back. It showed off our shoulders and two thin bands connected from under our armpits to the middle of the sides of the V showing more bare skin. Across the front in gold was the word Spartans. The skirt was straight and short with a gold band running around the bottom. On the left thigh there was a large upside down V in place of a slit for movement.

"Are you ready for today?" Alice asked me after we gathered everything we would need from our room.

"Why wouldn't I be? I've been cheerleadin' since sixth grade. Pep Rallies and football games are part of the package. I'm actually lookin' forward to it all," I replied as we walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"I don't mean the cheerleading, I mean dealing with the bitches at school. Don't think for a second that they don't know you and Jasper are together. I know it was pretty quiet yesterday, but that's how Lauren and Jessica work. They're trying to lull you into a false sense of security and then they'll make their move. They were telling everyone yesterday that you are only on the team because of me. They're hoping they're right and that you'll embarrass yourself this afternoon. They were also encouraging all the guys to ask you out to the party. Watch out for yourself today," Alice said uneasily.

"Don't worry 'bout me Ali. Girls never seem to like me much and I've been dealin' with bitches for years. I've dealt with worse than Lauren and Jessica. Besides, I've already got the guy I want and they'll just end up makin' themselves look foolish," I responded.

As Alice pulled out the toaster, I got the bread from the refrigerator. I took a note off the door and waved it at Alice and said, "Daddy says he and Maria will be at the Pep Rally unless somethin' comes up; and they'll definitely be at the game tonight. He also says that he's goin' to be spendin' the night at Maria's again and that he's goin' fishin' with Billy on Sunday. He wants to have dinner on Sunday with us. Is he usually gone this much? Don't get me wrong, I like the freedom since Momma tended to be nosy, but I've hardly seen Daddy since movin' here."

"It's how it's been the last couple of years. He trusts us to not ruin the house so he pretty much will let us come and go as we please. I think part of the reason he is letting us get a dog is so that there will be someone in the house when we're all gone. Lately though I think he is just taking advantage of the fact that Maria is between trials right now and has some free time," Alice replied with a shrug as she put the bread in the toaster.

Maria was a district attorney for the county; she and Daddy met eight years ago when Daddy was called to testify against a criminal. They had been dating ever since. Both of them had been divorced and Daddy had been trying for years to get Maria to come around to the idea of marriage again. She finally let him know that she was willing to give marriage another chance about a month ago and it took Daddy that long to work up the courage to propose.

After breakfast, I picked up a plastic bag holding a container of brownies and my school and gym bags and Alice and I headed to school.

As Alice and I walked toward our lockers, we were on the receiving end of quite a few wolf whistles. Alice quickly put her books away and left to find Emmett. I closed my locker and turned around hoping to find Jasper before I followed Alice. I was not disappointed.

Standing less than ten feet from me was my blond god. His blue and gold jersey complimented his tanned skin and sun-bleached hair. His jeans fit perfectly on his long legs and his ever-present cowboy boots completed his perfect look. While I was looking him over, he was doing the same to me. His face reflected complete lust as his eyes combed up and down my body.

I put my hand on my hip and struck a sexy pose. I wiggled my eyebrows a couple of times before saying, "Like what you see cowboy?"

He licked his lips before smirking and stalking toward me. He placed his lips at my ear and drawled, "You have no idea how much I like what I see."

He lowered his lips to mine and quickly dominated my mouth. Our tongues intertwined and the only rational thought in my head was 'don't drop Emmett's brownies.' I sighed into his mouth and he groaned as he backed me up against my locker. He put his hands on my hips and I felt his thumbs start to make circles on my hipbones. His fingers moved along the hem of my top in the back. My right hand, which wasn't holding the plastic bag, rubbed Jasper's neck and played with the hairs at my fingertips. I felt Jasper's hand move up my back as he pressed himself against me tighter. As we broke apart for air, I said quietly, "When you kiss me, the world just goes away."

Jasper whispered back, "I know what you mean; I start forgettin' everythin' but you." He ran his nose back and forth along my jaw and my eyes closed. I had completely lost myself in the touch and feel of Jasper, until we heard someone scoff loudly.

We moved apart slightly as we turned toward Lauren and Jessica who were standing a few feet away from us talking to each other. "Well isn't that cliché, the quarterback doing the cheerleader," Jessica said snidely.

"But isn't it usually the head cheerleader? She just looks like a cheerleader that'll give head. Charlotte said that Bella isn't talented at all and that she stole her spot on the squad. Maybe if _my_ sister was the captain I would get favors too. And you know Spartans is a long word; she probably can't even spell it, let alone cheer it," Lauren said with a smirk directed at me.

I rolled my eyes at their obvious jealousy as I wrapped an arm around Jasper's waist and turned in the direction of our English class. As we walked, I turned to look over my shoulder and said, "Just to let you girls know, green really isn't a very becomin' color on you. Have a nice day."

* * *

><p>After US History, Jasper and I walked toward the gym. Our last class of the day was cancelled for the Pep Rally. As the rest of the school gathered in the bleachers, along with half the town, the cheerleaders, marching band members and football players were to gather separately.<p>

I don't think that either of us noticed that we weren't walking alone until someone bumped into me from behind—hard. I stumbled and if I hadn't been holding onto Jasper's arm I would have fallen. As it was, he turned to face me and used his other arm to brace me, placing his hand on my hip, so I could gather my balance again.

"Oh my gosh Jasper, are you okay? I saw Bella almost take you down with her when she tripped. I would hate for you to get hurt," Jessica said in a breathy voice laced with fake concern. Jessica had wrapped herself around Jasper's right side as she rubbed her hands all over his chest and arm pretending to make sure he was alright. My eyes narrowed at Jessica and I had a wave of jealousy flow through me. I felt possessive and angry.

Jasper let go of my hip and brought his hand to Jessica's that had made its way down to the hem of his jersey and was attempting to raise it. He picked up her hand and removed it from his shirt. He placed her hand at her own side and stepped back to my right side, escaping her touch as he said to Jessica, "Keep your fuckin' hands off me and stay away from my girlfriend."

"Are you alright darlin'?" he asked with concern as he turned back to me.

Before I was able to answer, a snotty voice interrupted us. "Really Bella, how do you expect to cheer if you can't even walk across a flat surface? You should be more careful when you walk. You would hate to be the reason that our star quarterback gets hurt. You better watch your step. Next time you might not have someone to catch you and you wouldn't want to trip and break your pretty little face. Though Alice looks enough like you that we wouldn't really miss _your_ face," Lauren said threateningly. She didn't wait for a response before she grabbed Jessica's arm and dragged her away from us.

I sighed and glared at the ground. I could feel tears forming in my eyes; but I wasn't sad, I was pissed. I felt Jasper's hand lifting my chin so he could look into my eyes.

"Oh Bella, don't cry darlin', they're not worth your tears. I want you to be careful around them; they aren't beneath causin' actual harm to you. I know you didn't trip; I felt that push too. But you didn't answer me before, are you alright?" Jasper asked soothingly.

I took a deep breath and my glare softened, but there was an edge to my voice as I replied, "Physically I'm fine; but I'm madder than a wet hen and I just don't know what I'm goin' to do 'bout them."

"You just have to do somethin' to make sure that they don't push you around, both literally and figuratively. I don't have any ideas for you just yet, but I'm sure we'll think of somethin'. Now, we have a Pep Rally to get to," Jasper said as he kissed my forehead.

* * *

><p>I was standing in the doorway to the gym watching the squad get in place for the opening cheer. Alice was standing on the opposite side of the gym from me. We both had a view of Coach Kate who would give us the signal to start. The football team was gathered behind me and I felt familiar arms wrap around my waist. I spun around and kissed Jasper lightly.<p>

"Hey darlin', whatcha doin' in the hall?" he asked.

"Ali and I have a stunt planned that we've been workin' on. I have to wait for my cue and then you're gonna wanna be watchin' it. Make sure Emmett can see too," I said excitedly. Jasper kissed the tip of my nose and gestured for Emmett to come closer. Emmett weaved through the other players and joined us.

"Hey Em, make sure you can see. Alice is across the gym in the opposite doorway," I said quickly, knowing that my cue was coming soon.

"Hey airhead Barbie, you might want to stop making out with our quarterback; I think you're supposed to be out there?" one of the juniors on the team taunted me while pointing into the gym.

I felt Jasper tense and I stepped away from him, toward the gym. I turned to the junior and said, "First, Barbie is a blonde and I'm a brunette. Second, I have a 4.0 as do some of the others on the squad. And third, you might wanna watch, 'cuz I'm about to do somethin' that you're physically incapable of doin'," I replied. I gave Jasper one more peck on the lips before I took a deep breath and watched for my signal.

The squad was in the middle of the gym, facing the packed bleachers. The ten remaining girls formed a group of four, with two groups of three on each side. Two girls in each end group lifted the third girl relatively low while they continued to cheer. Three girls in the middle group lifted Rose above their heads so the three groups formed a pyramid like structure. The eight guys were split into pairs. Two pairs were about eight feet behind the group, a pair on each end of the girls; and two pairs were eight feet in front of the group, a pair on each end.

I saw Coach Kate raise her arm and I ran a few steps before starting to flip toward Jake and Matt, two of the guys on my side of the squad at the back of the group. I watched the ground as I flipped, knowing I was approaching my mark. I did one last flip past Jake and Matt and then reversed my flips, doing one more back toward them. They had stepped forward to catch me. They lifted me and as the rest of the squad yelled, "Let's Go," they threw me high in the air in an arc toward the other two guys on the opposite end of the squad. I did a toe-touch when I was at the center of the arc and high above the rest of the squad, as we all cheered, "Spartans!" before being caught on the other side. Alice had done the exact same thing, but from the opposite side of the gym and in front of the squad. We landed at the same time the other girls did. The crowd who had been cheering with the squad broke out in a huge applause and continued to yell.

The squad moved toward the side of the gym where the football team was gathered, forming an aisle for them to run through. Alice and I had picked up our blue and gold pompoms from where we had set them prior to the last routine and joined the end of the line. Coach Clapp took the microphone and stood in the center of the gym and said, "And now let's make some noise and welcome your Forks High School Varsity football team!"

The crowd yelled louder and the team ran out into the gym. I watched as Jasper, Emmett and Edward stayed in the doorway. Once the rest of the team was in the gym, Coach Clapp said, "And last but not least, I give you this year's captains, Edward Cullen, Emmett McCarty and Jasper Whitlock!" The three jogged into the gym and Jasper slowed when he got to me and shook his head and said quietly, "That was incredible." He gave me a wink and then continued to the center.

The rest of the Pep Rally continued with some speeches from Coach Clapp, the marching band playing the school fight song and the introduction of the Junior Varsity football team and their coach. At one point Rose leaned toward me and said, "I know Lauren and Jessica have been giving you a hard time, but I watched their faces as you and Alice came into the gym and they were dumbfounded. They won't be able to convince anyone now that you only made the squad because of Alice. And have you noticed the way my cousin has been staring at you the whole time? What am I saying, of course you've noticed, you're staring back at him just as hard."

I blushed at her comment and tried not to smile; but then I caught Jasper's eye again and couldn't help but let my face break out into a huge smile. He was fast becoming the center of my world and I couldn't be happier. I was broken out of my trance when I saw the football team move toward the back of the gym and heard the start of the song for our last routine. Alice and I were thrown in the air a few more times as we danced and cheered. By the end, the sound in the gym was deafening and everyone was excited for the game.

Most of the students in the crowd quickly left the gym, eager to leave school; and after I picked up my pompoms from the floor again, strong arms embraced me and picked me up. I wrapped my legs around Jasper's waist as he kissed me. He pulled back and said, "Hi there darlin'. You were amazin' out there. I've never seen better cheerleadin' and all the flippin' and twistin'; you should've heard the guys on the team. They're all pretty jealous of me right now."

I raised an eyebrow at him and smirked before saying, "Oh really? Well, why don't we give 'em somethin' else to be jealous of?"

Jasper smirked right back at me and responded, "I like the way you're thinkin' darlin', but I can see the Chief walkin' toward us right now and I don't think he would appreciate the show that much."

I blushed as I laughed and wiggled my way back to the floor. I saw Daddy and Maria weaving their way through the remaining crowd. As soon as he was close enough, I closed the distance between us and gave him a big hug while exclaiming, "Daddy! You made it!"

Daddy laughed, patted my back and said, "Of course I did kiddo. I didn't want to miss seeing my girls in their first Pep Rally together. You both were great; but I have to ask, are you sure you're safe flying through the air like that? I thought I was going to have a panic attack when you both were at least twenty feet above the ground. Can you really trust those boys to catch you?"

I took a few steps back and shook my head and laughed. Daddy was uncharacteristically rambling. I guess all those years of living with Alice had finally rubbed off on him. I stopped laughing and replied, "Oh Daddy, you don't have to worry. We practice a lot and work our way up to bein' thrown so high. They won't miss us. You might not have noticed, but the two guys who threw us in the air the first time became spotters for the other two catchin' us. They were there to help if necessary. Hi Maria." I tried to divert the conversation a bit.

She smiled and replied, "Hello Bella. You and Alice really were incredible out there."

I was about to thank her when Daddy looked at Jasper who had put an arm around my waist. Daddy's eyes narrowed as he looked at Jasper's arm. He tipped his head to the side and raised an eyebrow as he asked, "So, Jasper, you and my daughter?"

I looked up at Jasper and he glanced down at me with a soft smile before turning his attention back to Daddy. With a serious face, Jasper replied, "Yes sir. I've never met anyone as special as Bella and I'll be around as long as she's wantin' me."

Daddy's forehead wrinkled as he looked at me and said, "Are you sure you're ready Bella? I mean, you just had that thing with that other guy and I don't want you do something if you're not ready. You know what I mean right?"

I gave Daddy a look filled with understanding and love as I said quietly, "He knows about everythin' that happened. Unfortunately, he understands my situation better than anyone else ever can. Don't be worrin' 'bout me Daddy. I trust him and so can you."

Jasper stepped towards Daddy and said, "I'm not James, sir. I could never hurt Bella."

Daddy looked surprised when I said Jasper knew everything, but his look softened as he listened to Jasper and he said, "I know you're not James. You're a good kid, helluva great quarterback and pitcher too. You're helpful and have that southern charm stuff going for you; she's my daughter and I just want her to be happy. If you make her happy, then I'm happy."

I looked between my two favorite men and then curled into Jasper's side. He wrapped his arm around me and I looked into Jasper's eyes as I said, "I am happy with Jasper, Daddy."

Daddy cleared his throat and shifted a bit. He held out his hand to Jasper and as Jasper took it he said, "Take care of her son, and remember I have guns and the DA on my side." With a wink he let go of Jasper's hand, put his arm around Maria and started to toward the door. Daddy looked over his shoulder, smiled and added, "Be careful tonight Bells, and Jasper, good luck. Go Spartans!"

* * *

><p>AN: '_When You Kiss Me'_ is by Shania Twain. I'm not going to give you a long-winded A/N this time (I did that at the beginning), just your chapter review choices. Please click review, and type the letter that best applies to how you feel about this chapter.

A) Lovin'

B) Likin'

C) Hatin'

D) Opinionatin' (That means leave your own comment!)

To misquote a non-country song—"Oh readers! I'm down on my knees, I'm begging you please, to review. Re-e-e-view!"

Next chapter: The football game (really this time) and maybe a slight lemon if I get enough reviews asking for one!


	11. The Boys of Fall

A/N: So the promise of a lemon didn't get that many reviews…maybe you didn't really want one? I think there have been some FF problems since the last chapter didn't want to show up for everyone. I may never know the answer to that, but to warn you, this chapter does get citrusy at the end. I'm not going to mark it, because if you aren't old enough to read it or didn't want to read it, you shouldn't be reading this story. You'll know when it happens and you can just skip to the fifth paragraph from the end if you don't want to read it. Just to warn you, I have never, ever written a lemon before and hope it is good. You will have to let me know!

A huge thank you to those of you that did review the last chapter; I loved reading them and check your inbox, there should be a big thank you from me!

Oh, on a different note, I have started a different J/B story called, "**Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained**". Here is the summary: _Nothing ventured, nothing gained; Definition-__if one takes no risks, one will not gain any benefits._ Faced with losing the woman he loves after her father dies, Jasper asks Bella's brother for her hand in marriage. Set in Colorado in 1868; join Jasper and Bella as they take chances in life and love. J/B, Em/R, Ed/A. AH/AU Rated M for lemons.

So check it out, give it some love! But now, without further ado, I give you…

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 11 ~ "The Boys of Fall"<em>

_(JPOV)_

We were in the hallway in front of the locker rooms that we only used for football games; the ones that were under the stands of the football field. The team stood in front of me, about to head onto the field for the game. Emmett and Edward had somehow convinced me to give the pre-game pep talk after Coach had said his piece. I held my helmet in my right hand and began to pace as I talked loudly.

"We're the Spartans. The ancient Spartans for whom we're named were fierce warriors. They believed the only way to return from a battle was to be either victorious or dead. Tonight we'll be victorious," I said, pausing when the team cheered. I continued to pace as I talked to the team in front of me.

"The great Vince Lombardi once said, 'I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – Victorious.' Tonight we'll be victorious," I again paused as the team cheered.

I pointed to the door of the tunnel which would lead us to the field and said, "Out there, the lights are on, the field is cut. The town has gathered in their blue and gold to watch us win. We'll fight, we'll work together and we'll defend each other. This is _our_ field, _our_ school, _our_ town; _no one_ comes here and beats _us_. This is _our_ time, this is _our_ season. _We_ are the boys of fall. Tonight _we will be_ _victorious_!"

I opened the door behind me and heard the announcer start to welcome the crowd. I held my helmet at the level of my shoulder and yelled, "Helmets up!" The team mimicked my position and I yelled again, "Who are we?" The team raised their helmets high in the air and yelled, "Spartans!" I yelled again, "Who are we?" They repeated, "Spartans!" As the announcer said, "Introducing the Forks High School Spartans" I yelled one last time, "Who are we?" The team yelled "Spartans!" at the same time the announcer said it. With a yell similar to a battle cry and our helmets raised, we ran through the tunnel of the stands and the tunnel the cheerleaders formed for us and onto the field.

The crowd cheered loudly and once I was on the field I paused to take in the atmosphere. I felt completely in my element as I saw the scoreboard lit up and smelled the fresh air. The stands were full of screaming fans and the marching band was playing the school fight song as the cheerleaders performed. I saw the referees gather and a junior girl stepped up to the microphone preparing to sing the national anthem. I saw the opposing team, the Kingston High School Buccaneers, in their red jerseys line up on the opposite sideline. Our team, in the white home jerseys, lined up on our sideline and faced the flag. It seemed like hardly any time passed between the opening notes of the anthem and running to center field for the coin toss.

Edward, Emmett and I shook hands with the opposing team's captains and the coin was flipped. We won the toss and elected to receive the ball. The Buccaneers kicked off and one of the juniors caught it and ran it to the thirty yard line where Edward and I took our positions. I stood behind Mike Newton and yelled the play. Newton snapped the ball to me and I backed up, looking for Edward or Tyler Crowley to be open. I saw Edward gain a few yards on his defender and I took the opportunity to throw a forty yard pass to him, only a second before I got hit. I quickly untangled myself from the defender and stood up to watch Edward get tackled on the ten yard line.

We had decided this season we would not use a huddle unless necessary to help give us an advantage over the other teams. Without huddling, it made it more difficult for opposing teams to prepare to defend against us. Once again, Newton snapped the ball to me and I threw a short pass to Crowley. He was taken down at the one yard line. The ball was snapped again and not seeing anyone open for either a pass or a hand-off, I saw an opening and ran the ball into the end-zone. Ben Cheney kicked the extra point and the Spartans lead 7-0.

The Buccaneers got the ball on their own thirty after a fair catch and our defense took the field. Between Emmett, Seth Clearwater, one of the sophomores on the team, and Quil Atera, a junior, our defense was extremely strong. The Buccaneer's quarterback was taken down three times in row and they were forced to punt.

The first quarter continued with us getting the ball three more times and scoring on pass plays on all but one possession. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 21-0.

The second quarter progressed in a similar fashion, the highlight being a fifty yard pass from me to Edward who caught it on the five yard line and ran it in for the touchdown. The Buccaneers were able to kick two field goals and the score at the half was 42-6. Many of the guys on our team were watching the cheerleaders when they weren't on the field. I knew that if I turned around to watch too, I would never get my head back in the game. As much as I wanted to see Bella, I knew that I needed to focus. Hell, if I messed up, there would be nothing for her to cheer about.

The locker room was loud at halftime and Coach didn't have much to say to us, other than to tell us to keep up the good work and to make the second half as good as the first. We got back to the field a couple of minutes before the second half started.

No matter how hard the Buccaneers tried, they were not able to stop our offense or make much progress against our defense. We ran the ball, I passed the ball, we scored over and over again and I loved every second of it. This kind of game is what made Friday night high school football exciting…for our team at least. The third quarter ended with us up 70-6. Coach finally pulled the first string offense and defense saying that we were out for the rest of the game.

I helped coach our second string quarterback, Aaron, when we were on defense. He wasn't having a lot of success getting the ball in the air and was handing it off frequently. At one point, we were passing and he threw it so poorly that I had to leave the sidelines to get it as it rolled toward the cheerleaders. Bella picked up the ball and walked toward me. I took the ball from her and kissed her hard. I let go of her and said, "Thank you darlin'."

As I walked away from Bella, I said over my shoulder with a wink, "Oh and thanks for handin' me the ball too." She shook her head with a smile on her face as she rejoined the squad.

I overheard some girl from Kingston High School say to her friend, "It figures that the hottest guy would be with the prettiest cheerleader. Life just isn't fair." I smiled to myself as I threw the ball back to Aaron. Sometimes life isn't fair; but right now, my life was pretty good.

The game ended with a final score of 83-20. We shook hands with the other team and made our way to the locker room where Coach congratulated us on our win and told us he would see us Monday for practice.

Emmett and I walked out of the locker room after changing out of all of our football gear. Edward had left a couple minutes earlier, heading toward the parking lot where he was meeting Rose. We were approaching our girls when I saw Bella put her hands on her hips and stomp her foot. I gave Emmett a questioning look and he just shrugged his shoulders. Alice tipped her head to the side and tried to stare down her sister. We were finally close enough to hear Bella say, "You could've at least told me earlier that I had to find other sleepin' arrangements tonight. Rose is goin' to Edward's and how can I ask that of Jasper?"

Alice gave her an exasperated look and asked, "He's your boyfriend; why wouldn't you want the opportunity to spend the night with him?"

We had gotten even closer and neither girl had noticed us yet. I heard Bella say quietly but firmly, "It's not that I don't wanna. Instead of it bein' our choice, you're forcin' it upon us. Not only does me askin' to spend the night at his house make me look like a hussy, it's makin' Jasper do somethin' he might not wanna do. Hell Alice, we've only been together a few days and no matter how I'm feelin' about him, he might not want me there."

Obviously frustrated with Bella, Alice replied, "If that's how you feel, offer to sleep in the guest room. Come on Bella, please? I can't go to Emmett's; his parents are home and his room is right in between theirs and his little sister's. Jasper isn't going to say no; I'm sure he'll be thrilled to have you for the night. Just ask him, please?"

Bella sighed and said, "Fine, I'll ask; but if he says no then you and Emmett will just have to manage to survive without each other for one night."

I took that as my opportunity to make my presence known and I decided to ease some of her worries as I said, "Hi Darlin', I couldn't help but overhear that you're without a bed tonight. You're definitely more than welcome to share mine. You never have to ask." I winked at her and then picked up her bag that was at her feet.

Bella blushed and asked, "How much of that did you hear?"

She was so beautiful when she blushed like that. I gave her a half-smile and replied honestly, "Most of it, but it's not the only reason I'm offerin'. I want you to stay with me."

Alice squealed and said, "Thank you Jasper! Bella, I added an overnight bag to the truck for you. I'll ride home with Emmett tonight. Be home by four tomorrow to get ready for the party."

Bella shook her head and groaned, "What did you pack for me?"

Alice smiled deviously and said, "Oh don't worry, it's nothing."

Bella glared at her and mumbled, "That's exactly why I'm worryin'. There better be pajamas in that bag."

Alice smirked in a way that made me really happy that she packed Bella's bag. In a singsong voice, Alice replied, "Oh there are and they'll look great on you."

Before the twins could get into another argument, I wrapped my arm around Bella's tense shoulders and started walking us toward the parking lot, I said over my shoulder as we left, "Night Ali, Em. We're gonna get goin'. Come on darlin', you'll be alright with me."

Bella relaxed and looked up at me and replied, "Oh I know I will be. I'm just irritated that Alice's forcin' me upon you. You didn't have much choice in the matter."

I stopped us right next to Bella's truck and gently pushed her against the driver's door. I lifted her chin so she was looking at me and said, "You aren't bein' forced upon me. I was gonna ask you to spend the night anyway. I wanna spend every second I can with you. So, why don't you follow me and we'll head to my house."

Bella finally smiled and stood on her tiptoes to kiss me. She pulled back too soon for my liking and said, "Thank you Jasper. Let's go."

Once we got back to my house, I lead her to the guest bathroom across from my room so she could shower and change. I went to my bathroom and showered quickly, not wanting to waste any time that I could be spending with Bella. I towel dried my hair, brushed my teeth and walked into my bedroom. I heard a hairdryer running so I picked up my guitar and sat against the headboard of my bed, with a pillow behind me. My legs were stretched out in front of me and I was just wearing a pair of blue mesh basketball shorts. My eyes had closed as I was playing and I lost myself in the music. I felt the bed move a little and I smiled, but didn't open my eyes. I continued to play, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. As the song ended I opened my eyes and took in the form of the gorgeous brown-eyed brunette staring at me with a smile on her face.

Bella was laying on her side, crossways on my bed, about halfway down. Her elbow was bent and her head was propped on her hand. Her hair flowed down her back, with a little falling in front of her neck. Her pink tank top had ridden up and I could see the curve of her waist and her flat stomach. Her breasts were practically spilling out of the top and I wanted to run my hands up her long smooth legs to find out what, if anything, she was wearing under the small black boy shorts that served as her pajama bottoms.

I swallowed thickly as I tried to keep my thoughts clean. Her head was even with my calves and though I was turned on by her, I didn't want _her_ to know just yet. Bella broke the silence by saying quietly, "That was beautiful Jasper. Does she have a name?" She tipped her head toward the guitar as she asked.

I felt my face grow hot as I mumbled, "Her name's Faith."

Bella laughed and said, "As in Hill?" I nodded and shrugged my shoulders. Bella laughed a bit more before saying, "Well, we'll have to introduce her to my Tim real soon. They'll make quite the pair you know."

I joined Bella in her laughter. She laughed a bit harder and said, "Who would've thought that the mystery god and goddess would each own a guitar named after the god and goddess of country music? It's a sign Jasper!"

I leaned over the edge of the bed and placed Faith against the near wall and resumed my position against my headboard. I watched as Bella's laughter turned into a peaceful look. I decided I would tell her some of what I had been thinking about lately.

"Bella, I don't understand how I can be feelin' so strongly for you. It feels so right, but it scares me, 'cuz I keep thinkin' that somethin' is wrong. I mean who falls for someone this quickly? I know people fall in lust quickly and often, but with you, it's somethin' more," I said as I looked into her eyes. 'Something like love,' I added in my head. I wanted to tell her already that I loved her, but it's too soon, isn't it? It took me over six months before I thought I loved Charlotte and then another two before I told her. Bella and I have only been together since Tuesday night. What is that, like three days ago? Wow, three days with her and my life is turned upside down. Last week at this time I was sitting in my truck thinking about my conversation with Rose and worrying about facing Charlotte at school.

"Didn't Alice ever tell you 'bout Momma and Daddy's past?" she asked me curiously, interrupting me from my internal rambling.

I chuckled lightly and said, "Alice pretty much lives in the now; the past never came up much. What does their past have to do with our relationship?"

She smiled slyly, brushed the hair that had fallen to her front back behind her and responded, "It has everythin' to do with us. I'll tell you Momma and Daddy's story and then you can tell me what you're really thinkin'."

I looked at her dumbfounded and sputtered, "What do you mean?"

Bella raised an eyebrow and shook her head as much as she could while it balanced on her hand and replied, "I can practically see the wheels turnin' in your head. But I'll let it slide for now."

I felt like I was blushing a bit, but thankfully Bella ignored it and sat up in the center of my bed. She tucked one of her feet under her and bent the other leg front of her and wrapped her arms around her bent leg. She looked excited to tell her story. I looked at her intently as she began talking.

"Though Daddy could've made somethin' of himself playin' baseball, it wasn't what he wanted to do with his life. Daddy moved to San Antone, where Momma grew up, when he was nearly nineteen years old and joined the Department of Public Safety. It was his dream to become a Texas Ranger, and _not_ the baseball playin' kind. Eight years later, Daddy got his star," she said with pride radiating through her words. I had definitely never heard this story, so I sat up straighter as I listened closely.

"Momma and Daddy met six years before Daddy became a Texas Ranger. Daddy was doin' a patrol on horseback through a state park when he came across Momma. She'd twisted her ankle while runnin' and was sittin' on the trail. He picked her up, put her on his horse and rode with her back to her car. Momma talked durin' the entire ten minute ride and by the time they got to her car, Daddy was mesmerized. He asked for her number and called her that night. They dated for two months before they were married. Nine years later, when Momma was expectin' Alice and me, Daddy got shot in the shoulder durin' a criminal investigation. He wasn't permanently injured, but he realized that he was lucky and his family was more important to him than bein' a Ranger. He convinced Momma to move to Forks, where he'd grown up and a few months later, Alice and I were born.

Momma's twin sister, my Aunt Esme, came to help in the last couple of months before we were born and she met Uncle Carlisle at the hospital. She never moved back to Texas and they were married seven weeks to the day they had met, two weeks after Alice and I were born. Edward was born about nine months later." She paused with a smile on her face and made sure I was looking at her; of course I was, I couldn't keep my eyes off her.

She continued by saying seriously, "Jasper, I'm not gonna question how quickly things happen in our relationship. Time doesn't mean anythin'. Love happens when people least expect it and when it's right, it's right."

I thought about her parent's story and then Esme and Carlisle's. They were similar stories with very different results and I couldn't help but say, "But your parents didn't have a happy endin'. What happened?"

She smiled slightly and replied, "Daddy never resented his decision to move from Texas and give up his dream; but Momma did. Momma was too headstrong and Forks was too tiny and it wasn't Texas. They never fell out of love though. If you ask either one of them, they'll admit they're still in love; but they'll both tell you that they were livin' worlds apart and eventually neither was able to compromise who they were for the other. Their endin' is happy though. They each found a second love without changin' who they are, and they were able to retain part of their first love."

Bella paused and bit her lip before continuing, "Jasper, when I'm with you, I get to be myself. I'm not pretendin' or holdin' anythin' back; I don't have to compromise who I am for what I think you want me to be. You've accepted me with my flaws and my past. We're young, but I'm not afraid that what's happenin' to us is wrong."

The honesty and emotion I could see shining in her big brown eyes was staggering. It was as if I could feel her love for me. I knew I was in love with her. There was no questioning it now, but I just couldn't tell her yet. Instead, I slid myself forward on the bed and met her in the center. I put one leg on each side of her and pulled her forward. She rearranged herself so that she was straddling me.

I raised both of my hands to run through her hair and they rested on the back of her neck as I said, "I know you wanna know what I was thinkin' 'bout before your story, and well, it doesn't really apply anymore. I was worryin' 'bout us and thinkin' 'bout how I've only really known you a few days, but you're everythin' I want Bella. You too have accepted me with my flaws and my past and I wanna take a chance that we can have that lifelong love."

Bella gave me a soft smile as she moved her lips closer to mine. She whispered, "Me too," before pressing her lips softly against mine. My left hand moved to the back of her head and my fingers wove into her hair, holding her in place. Our heads tilted slightly in opposite directions as my tongue began to trace her lips. Her mouth parted with a sigh and her tongue met mine. My right hand slid down her back and found the sliver of bare skin below her tank top. Our tongues continued their caresses as her tiny right hand pressed against my chest. I felt the nails of her left hand gently scrape my scalp. She sighed again as my fingers found their way under the hem of her tank top. I massaged her back with my fingertips as they moved slowly up and down her spine.

Bella's hand traveled from my chest to the back of my shoulder and I felt every move her fingers made. She suddenly rocked her hips forward and pressed up against me. The thin material of my shorts and the cotton of hers left little to the imagination as to how I felt about her right now. She kissed me harder and then broke away from my mouth, dropping her head back with a sigh. Her breasts rose as her back arched a bit, bringing them just below my chin. I leaned forward to leave a trail of kisses across her collarbone and then to the swell of flesh below. My hands both moved to the bottom of her tank top. I kissed a small freckle just above her left breast. It was the first one I had seen on her smooth tanned skin. I wanted to know if there were more; I planned on kissing every one as I found them.

My nose skimmed across the skin below her collarbone as my lips brushed along the skin at the top of her tank top. I felt Bella roll her head forward and I pulled back, my eyes meeting her hooded ones. I raised an eyebrow in a silent question as my hands gently pulled on the bottom of her tank top. She bit her lip while smiling and then nodded slowly. My hands slid carefully up her sides, savoring the silky flesh they were discovering.

I leaned closer to her and kissed her lips briefly. I pulled my head back just enough to be able to look into her eyes again. Her hands now rested lightly on my shoulders. Bella licked her lips while her brown eyes appeared to be getting darker by the second.

As I felt the sides of her ribcage, my thumbs moved closer to one another. I brushed the bottom of her breasts with my thumbs and my fingers traced the sides. I gently cupped each full breast in my hands and rubbed lightly across her nipples. She gasped at the sensation and her eyes closed and her lips parted slightly. Her eyes slowly opened and she removed her hands from my shoulders and crossed them in front of her, grabbing the bottom of her tank top. In one fluid movement she removed her shirt. She shook her head a bit, causing her hair to fall down her back as she dropped her tank top on the floor next to my bed.

My eyes left hers and focused on the newly exposed skin. I wanted to pay attention to her flat, toned stomach; but my eyes were drawn to my hands, where they held the most perfect breasts I had ever seen. Her nipples were a rosy pink color and stiff. I gently rolled her nipples between my thumb and finger. Bella sighed softly and my hands left her chest. One went behind her neck and the other to her lower back. I carefully turned us around and laid her down on the bed. Her hair fanned out across my pillow and I hovered above her.

I lowered myself onto her, not resting all of my weight on her, but allowing just enough pressure that our bare chests touched as I brought our lips together again. Bella's legs wrapped around my waist as she ground her hips up into mine. I felt the heat of her arousal against mine. I rocked against her as my tongue explored her mouth. I pulled my lips from hers and began to slowly kiss my way down her neck. I slid my body down hers as my mouth moved closer to her heaving chest. My lips pulled back and my tongue began to lightly trace a path toward her right nipple. The tip of my tongue traced circles around her nipple before my lips closed around it, sucking it into my mouth. My right hand found her other breast and began to massage it softly. I rolled her nipple between my fingers as my teeth gently scraped her other one. She gasped at the sensation and her hands wove themselves into my hair. She lightly scraped my scalp and dragged her fingers through my hair. She grabbed handfuls of my hair and pulled, not hard, but enough to anchor me to her breast.

My mouth continued to work her breast as the palm of my hand made circles on her other nipple. I felt her loosen her hold on my hair and I scraped my teeth one more time on her as my lips kissed her. I began to kiss my way to her other breast so I could give it equal attention. I looked up at Bella and her eyes were closed lightly and there was a content smile on her face. My left hand took the place of my mouth and my right hand drifted down her stomach. I felt the muscles of her abs tighten. My hand continued to move until I was cupping her ass, the same ass that made me lose my mind every time I saw it sticking up in the air. I kneaded my fingers against the cotton of her boy shorts. I felt no panty lines and the thought that she was going commando like I was made me groan. I became impossibly harder as she groaned back in response. I licked her nipple then blew across it. It tightened even more and I rolled my tongue around it.

Once I had paid equal attention to Bella's left breast, I kissed my way down to her belly button. I dipped my tongue inside and then began to kiss my way back up to her mouth, my hands following the path of my mouth. I wrapped my arms around her back as I kissed her mouth. I tried not to put too much weight on her as I brought our chests together again. I softly kissed the tip of her nose and she opened her eyes.

Bella bit her lip and her forehead crinkled. She took a shaky breath and whispered, "Jasper, I…um, I."

I nuzzled her nose with mine and whispered, "Shh Darlin'. I know." The truth is, I did know. I knew that we weren't ready to go any further tonight. We'd get there, and probably soon; but it definitely was not going to happen tonight. We both still had to work through our pasts and I was going to let our relationship happen naturally.

The worry on Bella's face disappeared and was replaced with happiness. She lifted her hand and brushed my hair back away from my forehead. She stared so intently into my eyes that I could see the blue of my eyes reflected in the brown of hers. She gave me a small smile and her eyes watered a bit as she tried to stifle a yawn. I kissed her nose again and then rolled off the top of her and reached over the edge of my bed to find her tank top. I held it out in front of her and she took it from me, shaking her head. She sat up and I pulled the bed covers back before crawling under them. She tossed the tank top onto the nightstand next to the bed turned off the bedside lamp and laid down against me. I wrapped my arm around her bare back and she curled into my side.

I felt her cheek rest on my chest and I rubbed her back as I said, "Good night, Darlin'. Sleep well my Bella." I placed one last kiss on the top of her head.

Bella hugged herself closer into me and whispered, "Good night Jasper." Her breathing quickly evened out and I pulled the covers over us. I closed my eyes and thought about the perfect girl in my arms. I sighed, completely content and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

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><p>AN: '_The Boys of Fall'_ is by Kenny Chesney. Wow, I finally popped my lemon writing cherry! I am hoping that you enjoyed it!

So…I definitely need some opinions on this chapter, especially the end. In fact, that is what this chapter's review quiz will be about! Click review and type the letter that best applies. You will have to move your mouse anyway to get off this page, so you might as well take the extra time to click review, type a letter or two and let me know if you like what you just read!

A) This lemon was nice and sweet and I can't wait for more!

B) This chapter needed a little lemon-_**aid**_—not bad, but the next one will need a little help to be better.

C) This lemon left a sour taste in my mouth and I would rather suck on a real lemon than read anything like this ever again.

D) (Leave your own opinion—maybe about the rest of the chapter. Who liked the game or the Charlie story?)

If you have never reviewed before, or have never reviewed _my_ story before, I challenge you to **pop your** own reviewing **cherry**! Come on, you can do it. Everyone else is doing it, submit to peer pressure! :-)

Next Chapter: It's party time!


	12. Good Morning Beautiful

A/N: Once again, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I am going to take everyone's opinions and suggestions into mind for future chapters!

Sorry that this chapter took a while to post. Life gets in the way sometimes! I have also been writing another J/B story, (insert shameless plug here) "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained" and I am loving the new ideas for that one. It's an historical/western/romance set in 1868. Check it out!

This chapter has underage drinking and mentions drugs and rape. If any of that makes you uncomfortable, sorry, but it's necessary for this chapter! The party does occur in this chapter, but while writing it, the chapter took on a mind of its own and so the party is rather short.

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><p><em>Chapter 12 ~ Good Morning Beautiful<em>

_(BPOV)_

Waking up in Jasper's arms was the most wonderful feeling. I was lying on my side, my back against Jasper's bare chest, my head resting on his arm. His other arm was wrapped around me and I was holding his hand in both of mine against my chest. I sighed and snuggled even closer to him. I heard Jasper take a deep breath before he nuzzled his nose against my shoulder. I felt his lips press against my skin. He kissed his way across my shoulder and to my neck. He placed a kiss on my jaw and I turned my head toward him and was able to meet his lips with mine. He slowly pulled his arm from under my head and rolled me onto my back.

Jasper let go of my hands and his hand trailed down my chest to my side. He braced himself on his forearms and shifted himself on top of me. He brought his lips to mine again and continued to kiss me. I raised my hands to touch his face. His cheeks were rough with stubble and I allowed my fingers to trace his jaw, enjoying the texture. He pulled back slightly so we both could catch our breath. I opened my eyes to look into his. His eyes, like the rest of his face, were smiling. As I had not yet taken my hands from his face, I moved one to his forehead, where I brushed a lock of his curly hair back.

He mirrored my action and brushed some of my hair away from my face. His voice was deeper than normal and rough with sleep as he said, "Good mornin' beautiful."

I pressed my lips to his briefly before looking at the clock on his nightstand and replying, "Good _afternoon_ my Jasper. I loved wakin' up in your arms."

He said, "I agree; it was wonderful to wake up holdin' you." Then he smirked and wiggled his eyebrows a bit and said, "I especially like how you dressed for the occasion." His eyes raked down my bare chest and back up to my eyes.

I laughed and lightly hit his shoulder. "Jasper Whitlock, I do declare that you're a rogue. What ever will I do with you?"

Jasper laughed and teased, "Oh I can think of a few things you could do with me!" We both laughed some more before Jasper pulled me up and handed me my tank top from the nightstand. I pulled it over my head and we both stood up from the bed.

Jasper pulled me into a hug and said, "What would you like to do now?"

I bit my lip and answered, "Well, actually, I'd like to go for a run. I haven't been able to run since Monday mornin'. Alice was smart enough to pack my runnin' stuff, and I'd really like to use it." I was still pretty mad at the stunt Alice pulled. It's not that I didn't enjoy my time with Jasper, I was just mad at the way Alice had been treating me lately. She was getting more and more controlling and she needed to be stopped, sooner rather than later. I figured I would deal with her when I got home.

Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Jasper asked, "Would you mind if I joined you for your run? On the days that I don't have practice, I usually run; it's part of my trainin' routine."

I looked up at him and said, "You can definitely join me! I'll just go get changed and meet you out front." I gave him one more kiss before heading to the bathroom to change into my running clothes.

I managed to make it outside before Jasper, and started to stretch. With my stance wide, I bent at my waist. I wrapped my hands around my right ankle and touched my forehead to my knee. I held the position until my leg felt loose. I placed my hands flat on the ground and stretched my legs and back. Then I moved my hands to my left leg. I heard a groan from behind me and I placed my hands on the ground again and looked upside-down at Jasper standing a few feet away from me. I smiled and waved while continuing my stretches.

"Darlin' seein' your ass stickin' up in the air like that makes me have many ungentlemanly thoughts. You have the sexiest ass I've ever seen and it's takin' everythin' in me to not throw you over my shoulder and carry you upstairs and back to my bedroom," Jasper said, his eyes wild with lust.

I blushed and stood up and turned to face him. I walked toward him, put my hands on his shoulders and then lightly trailed them down his toned chest and stomach. I stood on my tiptoes and lightly kissed him, running my tongue around his lips. While I teased his lips, my hands continued to move lower. I came in contact with his obvious arousal and applied slight pressure, rubbing up and down before spinning around and running down the driveway. I called over my shoulder, "You'd have to catch me first. What's wrong Jasper? Somethin' troublin' you?" As I continued to run, I noticed his jaw had dropped and he was adjusting his shorts. I kept running and it was a minute before I heard footsteps following me.

He eventually did catch me and slapped my ass as he ran past me. Our run consisted of a game of cat and mouse. It was the most fun I had ever had running and before I knew it we were running back up his driveway and an hour and a half had passed. We went into the kitchen where we got some water to drink. I saw that the clock on the microwave said that it was four and I knew I had to leave. I sighed and said, "I gotta go. I need to deal with Alice and get cleaned up before the party. Do you wanna come over for dinner 'round seven and then we can drive to the party together?"

Jasper agreed and I went and gathered my bag before heading to my truck. I looked at my phone when I got into the truck and saw that Alice had already left five texts wondering where I was. I rolled my eyes and put it on the seat. While I drove, she sent three more texts, each one making me more and more irritated.

I had such a wonderful time with Jasper last night and then today, but as soon as I walked inside our house, all I could focus on was my sister. I walked up the stairs and into our room. Alice was standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips. She was tapping her foot and glaring at me.

"It's about time you showed up here. I told you to be home by four to get ready for the party. Why didn't you respond to my texts? You're twenty minutes late; how will I ever get you ready in time? Did you even stop to think of how your actions would affect me? Well, don't just stand there gawking at me. Your clothes are on the bed. Make sure you shower and dry your hair; and be quick about it, we have to make up for lost time," Alice said in a condescending tone.

I looked at my bed and saw the outfit she had decided I needed to wear on it. I set my bags on the floor near the door and then walked toward Alice, my face not betraying my inner emotions. When I stopped a few feet short of where she stood, she raised her eyebrows to me, as if questioning why I wasn't moving at the pace she required. She opened her mouth to say something; I'm not sure what, because I held up my hand in front of me to stop her.

I leveled her with the hardest glare I could and said, "This is the final straw Mary." Alice tried to protest my use of her real name and I held one finger up and said firmly, "No, I talk, you listen."

She closed her mouth and stared at me, shock written across her face. I continued to glare at her and said, "Right now I'm so mad I could slap you. You're my twin sister, Mary, not my keeper. You can't keep tellin' me what to do and what to wear. For nearly fourteen years you've had things your way in this house. But not anymore. I understand that you and Emmett want some time alone, but this isn't just your house. You need to start includin' me in decisions and not controllin' me. You put me in a very embarrassin' position last night. Whether or not Jasper and I spend the night together is not your decision to make; it's ours. You're gonna have to earn my forgiveness."

By the end of my speech, Alice was white as a ghost and her eyes were wide open. She slowly backed up to her bed and sat down on it. I softened my glare and waited for her to say something. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she responded quietly, "I don't know what to say. I didn't stop to think about how my choices would affect you."

My anger was subsiding as I looked at her and I decided to be a little nicer. "That's just it, Alice; you haven't been thinkin' 'bout anyone but yourself lately. You've been tellin' me what to do, where to go, what to wear; but you haven't asked me what I want."

Alice sniffled a little and said, "I'm sorry Bella. What do you want?"

I walked over to Alice and sat on her bed, facing her and said, "I want you to be my sister and my friend and I want you to respect me. I want you to stop belittlin' my decisions and I want you to ask me to do things, not tell me to do 'em. And I don't want to wear that outfit tonight. I wanna pick out my own clothes and I don't want you to say anythin' negative about my choices."

She gave me a small smile and said, "I can do that. I really am sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you yesterday and I'll try really hard to take your opinion into account from now on."

I shrugged my shoulders and sighed. I nodded my head once and said, "Thank you Alice. Now, I'm gonna take a shower and dry my hair. Not because you told me to, but because I really do have to start gettin' ready. Jasper's comin' over at seven and I promised I would make him dinner. If you wanna invite Emmett, there'll be enough for him too."

After I was ready, I made an easy dinner of chicken stir fry and rice and Emmett, Alice, Jasper and I ate together before heading to the party. One of the senior guys, which one I didn't know, lived outside of town and close to the beach. His parents were out of the country for the month and he was hosting the first party of the school year. Jasper parked his truck on the grass, near the road, in front of a large brown house. There were cars and teenagers everywhere; it was a very familiar scene, one I had been a part of many times. I hadn't been to a party since the one after Momma's wedding and I was a bit nervous.

Jasper got out of the truck and I continued to sit in my seat. He walked around and opened my door. I gave him a nervous glance as I rubbed my hands on my jeans. He gave me a half-smile and said "Come here darlin'. There's nothin' to be nervous 'bout. I'll be with you the whole time and you don't have to drink if you don't wanna. I won't let anyone hurt you."

I slowly released my breath and took his offered hand to get out of the truck. I didn't say anything in return, my nerves still getting the best of me, but I nodded and gave him a small smile to show my appreciation. He said, "Did I tell you how great you look tonight? 'Cause you look amazin'."

I glanced down the clothes I had chosen, a blue and brown plaid button-down three quarter length sleeve shirt over a white tank top, skinny jeans and my favorite brown cowgirl boots. My hair was straight and flowed down my back. I felt relaxed and comfortable. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed Jasper before taking his hand and saying, "Thank you, Jasper. You look amazin' too. I'll be fine, but I think I'll take your suggestion and avoid drinkin' alcohol. We should get inside before it starts to rain."

Jasper and I walked into the house and within a few minutes it began to pour outside. The music was loud and almost everyone was drinking. The house had an open floor plan and the main floor consisted of just the kitchen and living room. I followed Jasper to the kitchen where he got himself a cup of beer from a keg and found a bottle of water for me. I took it from him with a smile.

We wandered around for a while, dancing together when a good song was played and enjoying spending time with each other. I saw Lauren and Jessica surrounded by some guys I didn't recognize. They both had cups of beer and were shooting daggers with their eyes at me and throwing suggestive looks and movements at Jasper. I guess even with the attention of other guys they still wanted Jasper's. He didn't even glance in their direction.

The music eventually quieted down a bit and we were able to talk again. Soon after, Jasper and I found an open space on a couch and snuggled together, trying to ignore the couple that was making out next to us. Jasper ran his nose along my neck and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Our lips met and the rest of the party disappeared. I was only able to focus on Jasper and how his lips felt moving with mine, how his hand fit perfectly on the small of my back and how his other hand felt as his fingers combed through my hair. He tasted like beer, but it didn't bother me.

I have no idea how long we were in our own little world before I felt someone drop onto the now empty seat next to us. I continued to kiss Jasper until I heard a familiar voice say, "You know, from behind you and Alice really look the same, except that your hair's different. It's like you're twins or something." I turned my head and gave Edward an amused look just as Rosalie smacked him in the back of the head.

I shook my head at him and said, "Wow Edward, your observational skills get really sharp when you're drinkin'. I'm thinkin' you're gonna have to let Rose drive your car home tonight." Rosalie, who had a bottle of water in her hand, nodded in agreement.

Edward and Jasper started to talk to each other about last night's game and Rosalie and I listened, contributing when we could. A half hour later, my eyes started to glaze over a bit as the two rehashed the game, play by play. As much as I enjoy football, this discussion just wasn't keeping my interest. I noticed that Rosalie looked like I felt…bored to death. It was getting warmer and warmer in the house and since it was no longer raining, I asked her, "Hey Rose? It's really stuffy in here; do you wanna go for a walk outside with me?"

Rosalie's eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "Yes please! Love you Edward!" She jumped up from the couch and dragged me up too. Laughing, I waved to Jasper as she pulled me toward the back door.

As soon as we got outside she said, "Thank you so much for saving me from listening to that. I had to sit through almost the same conversation this morning when Edward went over the game with Carlisle."

I laughed and said, "Well you're welcome, Rose. I was so bored. I was thinkin' we actually could walk down to the beach if you'd like."

She agreed and we walked down a path we found behind the house. There were a lot of trees, but I had seen the beach earlier from a window in the house, so I imagined that it wasn't that far. I could hear the waves and they sounded close. As we walked, we talked about Jasper and Edward. I think we each enjoyed knowing that our respective cousins were happy.

I could see an opening in the trees ahead of us and could make out the waves crashing on the shore, when I heard a noise. I placed my hand on Rosalie's arm and stopped our progress. I listened again and heard moaning. It stopped and I looked at Rosalie and asked, "Did you hear that noise? What do you think is makin' it and where is it? Do you think we're safe?"

She nodded and said, "I heard it, it sounds like a hurt animal or something. I think the sound came from in there." She pointed to our left and into the forest.

I peered into the trees and tried to see something, anything. The sound started again and I was able to focus on a mass on the ground, deep in the forest. I took a few steps off the path and Rosalie grabbed my arm to stop me, shaking her head. Her eyes looked panicked. She whispered, "No, you don't know what it is."

I looked harder and the thing shifted. I gasped and said, "I think it's a person, Rose. We have to help them."

We moved as quickly as we could toward the person. When we got closer, I realized who it was and ran toward her. I stopped a few feet from her and took in her body. She was covered in cuts and bruises and her clothes had been torn from her body leaving her naked. Her hair was knotted with leaves and sticks. She was freezing cold and soaking wet. She had obviously been left here before the rain had ended. I knelt next to her and hesitantly took her hand in mine and said, "Jessica? Are you alright? What happened? Who did this to you?"

All she could do was moan. Rosalie stood next to us, her hand covering her mouth. I could tell she was in shock over seeing someone like this. I knew that we needed to help Jessica and fast. She had probably been raped, judging by her injuries and lack of clothing. I looked up at Rosalie and said, "Rose, I see her clothes over there; see if any of them can be used to cover her. She's looks drugged and she's in shock. We're gonna be carryin' her back to the truck. She needs to get to a hospital and I think we better take her. I'm not gonna call an ambulance. There are too many drunk kids inside and they'll get in their cars and scatter if they hear sirens. I don't want them causin' accidents in their panic to get away. I didn't drink anythin'; I'll drive her."

Rosalie nodded and started to gather the scraps of cloth that she could find. Nothing was salvageable, but we kept all the pieces for evidence. I took off my shirt, thankful that I had worn a tank top under it, and put it on Jessica gently. I tied a few strips of her dress together so that she could have something to replace her underwear; it wasn't perfect, but at least she was somewhat covered.

I thought for a moment about how we would carry her out of here. I brushed her hair out of her eyes and said softly, "Jessica? Rose and I are gonna be carryin' you. I need you to put one of your arms 'round each of us and we will pick you up like you're sittin' in a chair, okay?"

She groaned and her eyes focused on me and she croaked, "Bella? Is that you? What happened to me? Why do I hurt? I'm so sorry." Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted.

"Put the scraps of her clothes on top of her. Then put one of her arms 'round your neck and then put one of your arms under her legs and one behind her back. I'll do the same and we'll carry her to Jasper's truck. Once we get her inside it, I need you to go get the boys." Rosalie took a deep breath, placed the clothes on top of her and then we both lifted her from the ground. It wasn't easy walking with her since she was essentially dead weight, but we made it back to the front of the house. We somehow lifted her into the truck and I got in the driver's seat. Jessica was propped up on the front seat next to me. While Rosalie ran inside, I buckled her seatbelt and reclined the seat a bit.

Jasper and Edward came running out of the house with Rosalie leading the way. Jasper thrust the keys into my hand and crawled in the back seat of the truck. He didn't even try to question why I was driving. Rosalie took Edward's keys and they followed us to the hospital. As I drove, I filled Jasper in on what I thought had happened to Jessica.

I pulled into the driveway of the Emergency Room and ran inside to get some help. I approached the nurse and she gasped. I followed her eyes and saw that my clothes were stained in blood and dirt. She rushed around the counter trying to figure out my injuries. I said quickly, "It's not me that's hurt. My friend was attacked and is in the truck outside. I'm thinkin' she'll need a stretcher; she's unconscious right now."

The nurse yelled something to a group of people behind the counter and suddenly there were four people following me outside with a stretcher. They unloaded Jessica and brought her inside. I parked the truck and then Jasper and I joined Edward and Rosalie and we all went inside the hospital.

Luckily Uncle Carlisle was working, so he took it upon himself to find out what we knew of the situation. The four of us were taken into a small office and we answered as many questions as we could. Rosalie and I told Uncle Carlisle about how we found her and our suspicions that she was raped and drugged. When he asked why we didn't call an ambulance I replied honestly, "Well uncle, I'm sure you know that we were at a party. I didn't think your ER needed to be filled tonight with stupid kids who decided to speed off when they heard sirens. Most of those kids will spend the night at that house and not get behind the wheel, but if they thought the police were comin', all of them would've tried to leave. I also didn't want to draw any attention to Jessica and embarrass her. So, in the end, I felt it was better for me to drive her here. I'm sorry if that was wrong."

Carlisle smirked at my explanation before composing his face again. He nodded and said, "It's alright Bella. She's lucky you found her. We aren't able to get in contact with Miss Stanley's parents yet. I don't know how long it will be before she regains consciousness, but you all are welcome to wait in the doctor's lounge if you want to see her when she does. I'm glad that you and Rose weren't drinking tonight. There's coffee in the lounge for the two of you that need it. Sober up boys; Edward, we'll talk later."

Edward nodded his head and looked appropriately ashamed at getting caught by his father. Carlisle brought us to the doctor's lounge where we waited for Jessica to awaken. Jasper held me and asked, "Are you alright darlin'? I'm sure this situation can't be easy for you. You were amazin' helpin' her like you did."

I buried my face into Jasper's chest and said, "It wasn't easy for me; all kinds of memories came back when I saw her on the ground, but she needed help. I couldn't leave her there; I just kept thinkin' that even though I had it bad, at least I didn't get beaten too."

A couple of hours passed and the four of us dozed on the couches. Carlisle came in and woke us up to let us know that Jessica was awake and done with testing. "She's asking for you, Bella," Carlisle said.

I followed Carlisle to a small room where Jessica was recovering. She was pale and bruises were forming on her face. There were a lot of cuts, but it appeared that she hadn't needed stitches. I sat down in a chair near her knees so she didn't have to move to see me. She looked at me and her eyes filled with tears. She quietly whispered, "Thank you for saving me. I've been such a bitch to you; why would you help me?"

I sighed and gave her a soft look as I said, "You needed help. You and Lauren have been horrible to me; but that doesn't mean that I want somethin' bad to happen to you. You'd been hurt tonight in so many ways and unfortunately I've experienced some of what you're goin' through. I hate that you were violated; it's somethin' that'll never fully go away, but don't go believin' that every guy out there is bad. I may not be your first choice of someone to talk to, but if you ever need me, I'll be there."

The tears in her eyes spilled down her cheeks and Jessica said, "I'm so sorry Bella. You didn't deserve what we did to you or said about you. Can you forgive me?"

I nodded and replied, "Of course I forgive you. You're not in the hospital 'cause you were mean to me though; do you know who did this to you?"

She shook her head and said, "No, I remember talking to some guys who weren't from our school and someone handed me a drink. Soon after that it goes fuzzy. Somehow I got into the forest and I remember hands pulling on my dress. I tried to fight, but I was shoved up against a tree, tearing the back of my dress and then I got slapped. I tried to fight again, but whoever it was just kept hitting me. The next thing I remember is being so cold, but seeing your face and hearing you and Rosalie trying to save me. I woke up over an hour ago with a horrible headache among other pains. Dr. Cullen told me what you did for me. Thank you again for everything you did."

I stood up and placed my hand lightly on top of hers and said, "You're welcome Jess. You're lookin' tired and you should be gettin' some rest. I'm glad you're safe now. I'll see you at school. Remember, if you ever need to talk, I'd be happy to listen."

Jessica sniffled and nodded. I squeezed her hand gently and then left the room. Jasper was waiting in the hall outside her room. He pulled me into a hug and then put his hands on the sides of my face and said, "You really are too good aren't you? I'm not sure she would've done the same for you if the situation was reversed; and if she did, she'd never let you forget it. She'd take every opportunity to remind you to kiss the ground she walks on."

I looked into his eyes and replied, "It doesn't matter what she'd do; she needed help and Rose and I were there for her. I'm not sure Rose'll let her forget it, if that makes you feel any better. Can we go back to your house Jasper? I'm tired and want to wake up in your arms again."

He kissed me and then said, "Of course darlin'. I want you to wake up in my arms again too. Let's go home."

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><p>AN: "Good Morning Beautiful" is by Steve Holy. The song I really wanted to use was "Crumblin' Down" by John Mellencamp, but I chose a country theme for this story and I'm sticking to it!

I know many readers wanted Bella to get revenge on Jessica, but revenge isn't really Bella's style. I also didn't originally intend for Alice to be so bitchy, but she has a mind of her own! I hope this chapter helps some of you feel better about her! She isn't totally forgiven and only time will tell if she takes Bella's feelings into account!

Okay, enough from me; I'd love to hear from you! Please review!


	13. Amazed

A/N: Okay, so I'm not exactly sure what's going wrong with this story, but hardly anyone is reviewing and it's a bit depressing to me.

I would like to thank ellaryne, TwilightAddict71484, kateandjasper, wendy1969, crazy4jacksonrathbone, NatalieLynn, DarkLoveHeartbreaker, SkylerBlack, and Beautifully Imperfect0212 for your reviews; they really are what helps me write more!

We're going to skip some time, but there will be a few small flashbacks. I hope you enjoy it!

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><p><em>Chapter 13 ~ Amazed<em>

_(JPOV)_

I was nervous as I sat at the kitchen table with Chief Swan. He had multiple instruction manuals, whistles, and training books covering the table. He was reading the directions for assembling a covered dog run and kept glancing outside to the pile of chain link fence pieces and wood each time he turned the page. No, Chief Swan was not the reason I felt nervous. I was terrified that Bella would hate what I had planned for her birthday surprise. Alice was upstairs helping Bella get ready for our date. Bella actually had no idea that I had anything planned at all today, nor did she know that I was sitting downstairs with her father.

Chief Swan cleared his throat as he looked up at me. My eyes met his and he said, "I don't want to know all of your plans, because there are some things a father doesn't want to know. But I just want to make sure that you're going to take care of Bella."

At the mention of the name Bella, I smiled. I nodded my head and said, "Of course I'll take care of Bella; I love her."

Chief Swan stared at me a bit before he nodded and went back to reading. As he read I thought about the past week. It had been a very quiet week, but so much had happened for Bella and me. Sunday morning changed everything for us.

_Bella screamed loudly and began thrashing back and forth in my bed. As my eyes focused in the early morning light that bathed my room, I realized that she was still sleeping and obviously having a nightmare. I wrapped my arms around her shaking body and pulled her as close to me as I could. Her fists pushed against my chest and her head shook back and forth while she whispered, "No, no, no."_

_I held her tightly and rubbed my hands soothingly down her back. I repeated, "Shh, darlin', I'm here for you," over and over until her shaking subsided and her eyes slowly opened._

"_Jasper?" she asked quietly. I nodded and kissed her forehead. "Oh, Jasper. My dream was just awful," she sobbed and buried her face in my shoulder._

_I pulled back and tipped her head up so I could see into her eyes and asked, "Do you wanna tell me 'bout it?"_

_Her head shook in a silent no, but she said, "I don't know if it was a dream as much as it was a memory. I think I was relivin' the night James stole my virginity. Everythin' was hazy, but I think that was the drugs. I stumbled my way into the bathroom and James followed me. I didn't know he was in there with me until after I had used the toilet. He grabbed me and kissed me so hard it hurt, before he shoved me down onto the bathroom floor. I'd worn a skirt that night and he removed my panties before he took off his shorts. Thankfully he put on a condom, he always did since he was afraid of havin' a kid, but he did nothin' to make it not hurt for me. He just forced himself inside me. I screamed 'no' over and over again, but he didn't stop until he was done. I curled up on my side and cried. I had bled a little and he cleaned me up before puttin' my panties back on me and carryin' me out to his car."_

_My jaw was clenched tightly and I was seething with anger. The only thought going through my head was that James will pay if I ever get my hands on him. _

_Bella started to cry again and whispered, "Oh God, that's how it happened. What happened to Jessica must have triggered my memory. I didn't remember any of it the next mornin'; my head hurt too badly to focus on how much the rest of me must've hurt. You must think I'm a mess."_

_I looked at the beautiful girl lying in my bed. Her eyes were puffy and ringed in red and tears ran down her cheeks. My anger faded and I said honestly, "You're not a mess; you're my beautiful Bella."_

_She sniffled and touched my cheek while she asked, "How did I get so lucky as to find you?"_

_I gave her a smile and replied, "I'm the lucky one. I love you Bella."_

_All traces of sadness disappeared from her face instantly. Her whole face smiled as she said, "I love you too Jasper."_

_I captured her lips in what I can only describe as the best kiss of my life. _

I was startled out of my memory as Alice came bouncing down the stairs carrying two bags. I stood up to take the bags from her and said, "Happy Birthday Alice. Thanks for doin' this for me."

She shoved me toward the door saying, "Thank you and you're welcome. Everything she needs for tonight is in the blue bag; the other bag is her pajamas and clothes for tomorrow. She'll be down in a minute and I don't think she suspects a thing. Now get out before she sees you."

I laughed and took the bags out to my truck before turning around and walking back to the front door. I knocked and waited for someone to answer the door. I didn't have to wait long before the door opened to reveal my Bella. Her face broke out into a wide smile as she saw me.

"Happy Birthday darlin'. How'd you like to come away with me today?" I asked as she stepped onto the porch.

"I'd love to Jasper. I'll have to ask Daddy first, but I think it's a great way to spend my birthday," Bella replied before she stood on her toes and kissed me softly. Chief Swan walked outside and said, "It's okay Bella. You two have fun and be careful." He continued to walk to the side of the house where the dog run supplies were waiting for him.

Bella looked up at me and asked, "Let me go grab my purse, unless I need to change first?"

I shook my head as I studied the outfit Alice had helped her choose that morning. She was wearing a zip-up brown sweatshirt over a tan tank top, dark jeans, her cowgirl boots and her hair was braided down her back. I said, "Don't change a thing. You're dressed perfectly for what we'll be doin'."

She raised an eyebrow at me before going back into the house to get her purse that she kept on a hook just inside the door. She quickly returned and together we walked to my truck. Bella didn't ask me any questions about where we were going until we got on the highway.

I smirked at her and said, "You just sit back and relax. You're just gonna have to wait 'til we get where we're goin' to know what we're doin'." She stuck her tongue out at me and crossed her arms. She pouted for a few minutes and when I didn't give in and tell her, she tried flirting. Her hands traced around the muscles on my chest and then down my stomach. I glanced away from the road and shook my head at her. She licked her lips and her hand ventured to the top of my thigh. Again I shook my head and her fingers began to draw circles on my inner thigh and moved higher and higher. I shifted in my seat and shook my head again. Bella huffed and moved back to her side of the truck. I laughed at her reaction and soon she was laughing with me.

Rolling her eyes, Bella reached out her hand and grabbed mine while saying, "Alright, I'll let you have your 'lil surprise. So, we didn't get to talk after last night's game since Daddy whisked Ali and me out for ice cream. You played really great again Jasper. I love cheerin' for you."

I smirked and said, "And I love havin' you cheerin' for me. I wish I could watch you cheer, but if I did, I'd never get my head back in the game. You're too distractin'."

Last night's game was a lot more difficult than the previous week's game. I had needed to concentrate on the game the whole time. We won 31-28. We had been losing until I threw a touchdown pass to Crowley with less than three minutes left in the game. If I had taken time to watch Bella, I probably wouldn't have played as well as I did.

I glanced at Bella and saw her face turn serious and she said, "Lauren came up to me right before our half-time performance."

I felt my forehead crease with worry. Lauren had been quiet all week after she learned that Bella and Rosalie had saved Jessica. I wasn't sure if she would let things drop with Bella or not, but any peace was positive. So I asked hesitantly, "Oh, and what did she have to say?"

Bella snorted a bit and replied, "She said, 'Aren't you just miss perfect? Savin' lives, turnin' heads and gettin' everyone to believe that the sun shines out of your ass. You're just what we needed around here, another Swan who thinks she can rule the roost. You may have gained Jess in your little group of followers, but Char and I still think you're a bitch.' I just shrugged my shoulders in response and began my flips onto the field. I saw her glarin' at me later and I think it's because she knew she wasn't able to get under my skin."

I sighed and said, "Oh well, you can't win 'em all. With Lauren, I think the _kill her with kindness_ approach is best for now. It'll bug the hell out of her."

We passed the next hour of our drive with talking. I turned off the highway and found the long dirt driveway that would lead us to the first activity of the day. There were no signs telling of where we were and Bella was starting to bounce in the seat a bit in anticipation. My nerves started to get to me again as I worried that she might not like my surprise.

_Tuesday night Bella and I had both had short practices. I took her to the diner for dinner so she wouldn't have to cook. We sat at a table next to a window. Ever since I had picked her up from her house, where she had changed after practice, she had been pretty quiet._

_She was stirring her bowl of soup and occasionally taking a bite. Her eyes met mine and I saw sadness in them._

"_What's wrong, Bella?" I asked._

_She sighed, faced the window and reached her hand out to brush her fingers lightly down the glass. Outside the rain was pouring down and though it was only six o'clock, it was so dark it could have been the middle of the night. Her hand stopped moving and her palm flattened against the window. She turned her face back to me and whispered, "I miss Texas."_

_Now I could have been really hurt by that simple sentence, but I knew how she felt. It had nothing to do with me or any of our friends or family. I reached across the table and removed her hand from the glass and held it in mine. I smiled softly and said, "I know exactly what you're feelin'. Texas is a part of you and right now you feel like that part is missin'; I'm here for you whenever you need me."_

_A small smile spread across her face as she realized that I really did understand how she was feeling. She replied, "I do feel like a part of me is missin'; but listenin' to you talk reminds me that I have my own 'lil piece of Texas right here in Forks."_

_It was that night that I realized exactly what I wanted to do for Bella's birthday. _

I was brought out of my memory as I drove around the last curve of the long driveway. I pulled up to the old farmhouse and turned off the truck. I got out and walked around to open the door for Bella. She hesitated for a second before getting out and giving me a questioning look. Before I could answer her, a man in his seventies walked around the side of the house.

"Jasper Whitlock! Why I haven't seen you for years. It's been too long son. Millie told me you'd be coming today. And this must be the lovely Bella. Well, don't just stand there; I've got everything ready for you. Follow me," he said.

Bella looked up at me and whispered, "What's goin' on Jasper, who is he and how does he know my name?"

Curiosity was dancing in her eyes and I couldn't help but answer a couple of her questions. I said, "That is Mr. George Gregory. He's my Gram's cousin and I used to come out here when I missed Texas, which was quite frequently when I was in middle school. Aunt Caroline used to drive me out here when my parents were gone. His wife's name is Millie and I called her earlier this week. That's why he knows your name. Come on. I hope you're gonna like what I have planned." I put my arm around her waist and started to lead her forward.

We walked around the side of the house and a large barn came into view. We walked toward it and as soon as we got inside, Bella's face lit up. George was standing in front of two brown and white horses. His wife Millie was standing next to him holding a bag.

"Oh George, look at them. Jasper, Bella you two are just beautiful together. It's so good to see you again Jasper; and Bella, it is so nice to meet you," Millie gushed. She embraced me and I hugged her back before kissing her cheek.

"Ah, leave 'em alone Millie. They have things to do. Let the boy go and give him the bag," George said with a wink. He put his arm around his wife and pulled her away from me after she handed me a backpack.

Bella hadn't stopped smiling and as soon as George and Millie left, she said, "They're sweet. So, are we goin' for a ride?" Her eyes held a lot of excitement.

I lead Bella to the first horse and said, "We sure are. Let me help you up."

Once Bella and I were both on our horses, we started out into the land behind the barn. We rode uphill for a while and through fields and woods. Even though it had been a few years since I had visited, I knew exactly where I wanted to take Bella. After an hour of riding, we stopped. I tied the horses to some trees and took Bella's hand to lead her to my favorite spot on the Gregory's ranch. Bella gasped as she looked out across the rolling hills and to the mountains in the distance.

I let go of her hand and stepped behind her so I could wrap my arms around her. She leaned her head back on my chest and put her arms on top of mine, causing me to hug her tighter. I kissed the top of her head as we both looked at the landscape in front of us. The weather wasn't perfect, there were some low clouds obscuring our view of the mountaintops and the valley below had a thin fog covering, giving it an eerie look. But it wasn't raining and somehow the lack of sun seemed to actually enhance the green colors of the hills.

I'm not sure how long we stood there enjoying the silence and the view before Bella turned in my arms and wrapped her arms around my neck. She stood on her toes and kissed me. Her tongue traced my lips, asking for entrance, and my lips parted, my tongue joining hers in a sensual dance.

When she lowered her heels to the ground, I sighed contentedly and took a step backwards. I opened the backpack and spread out everything Millie had sent. Bella sat down across from me on the picnic blanket and we enjoyed juice, sandwiches, fruit and cookies. After we had finished, we lay down on the blanket, Bella's head on my shoulder and looked at the clouds above us.

I lightly ran my fingers up and down Bella's arm and she said, "It's so beautiful here Jasper. It reminds me of the ranch I used to go riding at when I was in Texas. Thank you for takin' me. I can't imagine a better day than this one. I love you so much."

I smiled and said, "I love you too, Bella. The day isn't over yet. This is just the first stop. We probably should get goin' if we want to get to the next place on time."

Bella turned over and propped herself up on her elbows and asked, "Where are we goin' next?"

I shook my head as I stood and held out my hand to help her up. I said, "Nope, not tellin'. You're just gonna have to wait and see for yourself. I will tell you that it will involve a change of clothes, which I have for you, courtesy of Alice."

Bella narrowed her eyes, and replied, "I'll continue to play along; but only because this first surprise was so wonderful that I want to see what you'll come up with next." I folded the blanket, put it in the backpack and we both got on the horses to return to the Gregory's barn.

After thanking George and Millie, we got back in my truck and I drove for another two hours. As we got to Bainbridge Island, Bella's questions couldn't be contained any longer.

"Are we goin' to Seattle? I love the ferry; it may sound silly, but I think it's fun. Does my Daddy know where you're takin' me?" she asked as she looked out the window trying to see exactly where we were headed.

I laughed at her excitement and said, "Yes we're goin' to Seattle and I cleared all my plans with the Chief a few days ago. Now, no more questions 'bout what we're doin'."

She crinkled her nose at me and tried to give me a dirty look before cracking a smile.

After a half hour ferry ride, where Bella made me get out of the truck and climb up to the Sun Deck to enjoy the view, we arrived in Seattle. We had a very short drive to our next stop. Bella gasped as we pulled up to the front of The Four Seasons Hotel. I grabbed our bags from the back and helped her out of the truck. A valet took my keys and we went inside the hotel.

I checked us into our room as Bella walked around the lobby. I found her looking out a large window at the bay. I walked over to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. She turned around wrapped her arms around me. She whispered, "It's beautiful here Jasper. Are we really stayin' here?"

I nodded and lead her to the elevators as I said, "We'll be stayin' here tonight; but after we clean up, there are a couple of places I wanna take you. Your birthday's not over yet darlin'."

The room I rented wasn't extremely fancy; but it would be perfect for the two of us for the night. There was a vanity area outside the bathroom and I figured I would let Bella clean up first and then she could get ready while I showered. I picked up the blue bag and told her, "Bella, why don't you shower first. Alice packed everythin' you'll need for tonight in this bag."

She took the bag from me and peeked inside; raising an eyebrow at me as she saw what was in it, but not commenting before she turned around and went into the bathroom. Once I heard the shower turn on, I scrolled through the numbers on my phone until I found the one for the restaurant I was taking her to next. I called and confirmed our reservation. Then I called Alice.

She answered the phone on the first ring and said, "Hello Jasper. I know why you're calling and you don't have anything to worry about. She is going to love it all. She loved the horseback riding, right?"

I walked over to the large window that faced the bay and stared out at the water as I listened. I shook my head at how Alice always seemed to know exactly what everyone wanted to ask her. I replied, "Hi Alice. Yeah, she loved it. She smiled and laughed the whole time. She even loved the ferry ride into Seattle."

Alice laughed and said, "Of course she loved it. I told you she would. You've planned her perfect day and you thought of it all by yourself. Stop worrying. I left a note for her in the blue bag; it doesn't say anything really, it just tells her how to do her hair for tonight. Just relax and have fun. Please make sure you have her back home by four tomorrow though. That's when we are going to pick up the puppy and she won't want to miss it."

I turned back around and sat on the chair at the desk and said, "Okay Alice. I'll have her back by then. Thank you for all of your help. I'll see you tomorrow."

I picked up the remote control and found a football game to watch on the television while I waited for Bella to finish. Twenty minutes later the bathroom door opened and Bella walked into the bedroom.

She came out in a knee length, ruffled white skirt and a fitted red and white plaid collared shirt, the top three buttons undone. The shirt was tucked into the skirt, showing off a silver belt buckle that mimicked the Texas Ranger's star. On her feet was a pair of red cowgirl boots that I had yet to see her wear. Even with her hair wrapped in a towel, she was beautiful.

I watched her hips sway as she walked. She pulled out the chair at the vanity and I stared at her long legs as she sat down to do her hair. Her skirt rode up her thigh when she crossed her legs. I swallowed thickly when her arms rose to remove the towel from her head and her breasts strained against the material of her shirt. I felt my jaw drop open as she shook out her hair around her shoulders.

Bella's eyes met mine and she asked innocently, "What's wrong?"

I stood up and walked over to her. I cupped her cheeks in my hands and I bent down to kiss her. I pulled back and sat on the edge of the vanity, her face still cradled in my hands. I stared into her eyes and said, "Nothin's wrong darlin'. I'm amazed by you. I love you Bella."

Her eyes filled with tears as she said, "I love you too, Jasper."

I kissed her forehead before letting go of her, grabbing my bag and walking into the bathroom. I showered and dressed in my black cowboy boots, my blue wranglers that fit perfectly and a black button up shirt. I also added a black belt with a silver belt buckle with a picture of Texas on it to my jeans. I combed through my curly hair and added a little gel to tame the curls that had a tendency to go everywhere.

By the time I walked out of the bathroom, Bella had dried and curled her hair and put on a little bit of makeup. She was even more beautiful. I looked at the clock and held out my hand to help her up from the chair. I said, "It's time to go, we have reservations for dinner, my beautiful birthday girl. I hope you're hungry."

She tilted her head to the side as she smiled at me. She placed her hand in mine and stood up, bringing her mouth close to my ear and said in a low voice, "Oh, I'm hungry alright." Her eyes wandered up and down my body and then she licked her lips slowly and winked at me. She watched as my jaw clenched in response and then she said, "Come on my handsome cowboy, we better not keep the restaurant waitin'." Then she pulled my hand toward the door and I groaned as we walked out of the room.

The valet brought my truck to the front and I drove to the restaurant. I parked in the parking lot of a relatively non-descript looking building and lead Bella toward it. There was a small sign that read, The Dark Horse, hanging on the thick wooden door. I opened the door for her and we walked down a dimly lit stone hallway toward a wooden podium. Numerous people lined the hallway, sitting on benches or standing along the walls waiting for their names to be called. We stopped at the podium and I gave my name to the hostess. She picked up two menus and handed them to another woman who led us through another thick wooden door.

I heard Bella take a sharp breath as she looked around the dining room. The entire back wall was a large stone fireplace, the floor was also stone and the walls and ceiling were made of wooden panels. Square tables with worn wood tops, surrounded by heavy wooden chairs with a small star cut out of the backs, filled the room. There were large chandeliers that looked like they were made from tumbleweeds and numerous animal heads were mounted on the walls. The room was dimly lit and each table had candles in the middle.

We were brought to a small table for two at the side of the room. I held the chair for Bella before taking my seat. Bella continued to look around and then looked at me in wonder and said, "You brought me to a Texas steakhouse. This is just like my Momma's favorite restaurant. It's perfect Jasper."

I smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it. I couldn't bring you to Texas for your birthday, but I figured I could bring a 'lil Texas to you."

Bella and I enjoyed rib eye steaks, fresh vegetables and baked potatoes. Our waiter brought Bella a piece of cheesecake with a candle in it as I had asked when I made the reservation. I said, "Make a wish birthday girl." She stared at me intensely, gave me the sexiest smile and without blinking and breaking our eye contact, blew out the candle. She then picked up a fork, took a bite, slowly pulling the fork out of her mouth and licked her lips. Her eyes remained on mine as she put more cheesecake on the fork and brought it to my mouth. She fed me a bite and then leaned forward to kiss me softly before sitting back in her chair.

A half hour later we arrived at our next stop. Bella tried to look out the window and figure out where we were, but from our parking spot she couldn't see the building.

I unbuckled and turned toward her. I said, "Now, before we go inside, you need to put on the one thing you're missin'." Bella looked down at her clothes and tried to figure out what she needed. As she did that, I reached behind her seat and then handed her a large box.

She gave me a curious look before lifting the lid. Her eyes grew wide as she lifted out the white cowgirl hat. She ran her fingers along the brim and then threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. The hat box fell to the floor and Bella practically knocked me backwards in her excitement. I started to laugh and she sat back in her seat where she put the hat on her head.

I asked, "I take it you like the hat?" Bella nodded and said, "I love it Jasper. Thank you."

I reached behind the seat again and pulled out my own black cowboy hat and put it on my head. I got out of the truck and walked to her side to help her down. When she stepped on the ground I said, "I have one more surprise for you tonight. Will you do me the honor of accompanyin' me inside for a 'lil dancin'?" Right as I asked, the door to the Little Red Hen opened and country music filled the air.

Bella looked up at me with adoration and said, "Of course I'll go dancin' with you. You planned the perfect day for me Jasper. You brought me Texas. I love you so much."

I brushed a piece of her hair back behind her shoulder and said, "I'll do anythin' I can for you. I love you too. Now, let's go dancin'." Together we walked inside, hand in hand.

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><p>AN: "Amazed" is by Lonestar.

Okay, let's try this review thing again. If you want to read more I need some feedback. This was chapter 13, please make it lucky for me and give me the most reviews ever!

For this chapter I want you to rank it on a scale of **1 to 10**, 1 being horrible and 10 being perfect! All I need is a number in the review box, you don't have to explain your choice, but you can if you would like!

Next chapter will have a lemon (not just lemonade)! Please review!


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